Future Heritage - a very possible meat

The context

The origin of the project is a dialog between the city council of Nantes Metropols and the Ecole de Design Nantes Atlantique to question the place of sustainable cow elevation in the metropolis and how the design methods could help to understand better the complexity and controversy of the topic, to link actors and to create an collaborative tool of mediation. La Vache Nantaise, which nearly disappeared in the 1970s, has been preserved by a new generation of engaged committed breeders. This unique local breed, associated with an economical and autonomous breeding system, expresses in the current context of securing supplies in the face of health crises its full potential and allows valuation in local short circuits. The Slow Food association for biodiversity has included Vache Nantaise in its register via Ark of Taste project. It is now the subject of a recovery plan driven by the redefinition of agricultural systems for a transformation of the sector towards more sustainable farming.

The project

22 design students are questioning the place of sustainable cow elevation in the metropolis with a systemic approach, from its breeding to its consumption, the value chain and its role in a territory in full food transition until the question of the culture of eating, quality of food and pedagogy of healthy diets. The exhibition aims to vulgarise information data and demonstrate potential design leverage points and highlight unexpected facets and applications of design in Food. The relevance of this topic is its transferability to other breeds or local agricultural initiative and showcase how a system switch in food can be enabled.

The installation

The installation consists of two accessible cylindrical barrels of a very simple general shape, covered with a coating of cow dung. The chosen material refers to the cycle of breeding, fertilization and preservation of moist soils. The shape of the barrels insinuate agricaltural architecture like silo or rural storage elements. Inside, the first barrel hosts an immersive installation illustrating biodiversity of the Vache Nantaise by video and sound effects. The second barrel offer prospective user scenarios, prospecting on the appropriated preparation of specific meat, valorization of distribution points and prospective future dairy products. A third barrel hosts, which is not exhibited in DDW, complets with a detailed mapping of the actors and the territory in a systemic approach. The research is documented and accessible in the exhibition. An collaborative wall invites you draw you own cow portrait.