The renowned author Brillat-Savarin asserted that what we eat speaks volumes about who we are. This conference pushes the axiom further, asserting that it is not only what we eat, but also how we represent nourishment in art, literature, and material culture that provides this critical information. We will examine how food and representations of the culinary function as a sort of language. The language of food, at once material and abstract, permits us to approach intangible meanings through the study of concrete objects and media. Organized around this general topic, the conference seeks to explore artistic, literary, historical, and sociological perspectives that use the culinary as a means to understand culture.

A conference session on architecture will examine points at which the language of food intersects the built environment. How have popular or scholarly discussions of nourishment affected the design, construction, alteration, and use of architecture? What historical connections exist between the way food is considered and the way spaces are organized for its production, storage, presentation, consumption, and disposal? Conversely, how can architecture suggest cultural attitudes toward the culinary?

Session organizers seek proposals for twenty minute presentations on the language of food and architecture. Proposals should include a paper abstract of no more than 300 words and a two-page CV. The deadline for submissions is December 16, 2011. Participants will be notified by mid-January.

Participants will be responsible for their own travel and accommodation.

Please submit proposals to: cgr5@cornell.edu