Convivium

Ensuring a safe and equitable food supply for the world’s population depends on a system of global networks: farmers, fishermen, ranchers, traders, transportation companies, markets, and industrial processing plants do not merely produce and distribute what is necessary for human nutrition. Driven by the capitalist logic of growth, they are motivated to produce ever more products, which—through overconsumption—lead to poor nutrition and massive food waste. Yet this system is increasingly reaching its limits due to global warming and political and economic factors. Many oceans are already overfished; fertile farmland is being built over or eroded; and entire regions are being devastated due to insufficient rainfall. At the same time, food production itself contributes massively to climate change through rising CO₂ emissions—a vicious cycle that is becoming increasingly apparent. Hardly any country on Earth can still feed its population from its own resources. In twelve chapters, the exhibition presents vivid examples of how our food is produced and distributed today. The focus is primarily on Europe, but global contexts are consistently taken into account. The aim of the exhibition is to make visible to visitors the spatial and technical foundations of our food production—and what challenges and opportunities this presents for the future.

1. Climate as a Service. The Netherlands is considered a pioneer in the development of high-tech greenhouses. In a precisely controlled climate, vegetables, fruits, and herbs grow year-round, regardless of the weather or season. The sophisticated technology behind this has itself become a successful export product, yet at the same time it competes with traditional, natural farming methods.

2. Strawberries and Greenhouses. Like many other fruits, strawberries are now available in supermarkets almost year-round. An illustrated essay explores the consequences of this constant availability for regional producers in the Munich area.

3. Salmon and Tomatoes. Salmon farming has grown into a global industry. But its growth comes at a high price: wild-caught fish are processed into fishmeal to feed the farmed fish. Overfishing has caused the collapse of small-scale local fisheries in some coastal regions of West Africa. As a result, many people are losing their livelihoods and are being driven to migrate to the Canary Islands. Many who survive the dangerous crossing end up working as undocumented laborers—illegally and under precarious conditions—in the tomato greenhouses of Almería.

4. Tropicalia. In Sicily, the consequences of climate change are already being felt dramatically. Heat, drought, and unpredictable weather extremes are taking a heavy toll on agriculture. With new wheat varieties and the cultivation of tropical fruits, farmers are seeking ways to adapt to the changing conditions.

5. The Animal Is Present. The modern cowshed is a prime example of the growing contradictions and absurdities of today’s food production. Digital control systems, genetic breeding, and reproductive technologies drive the race for ever-increasing amounts of milk and meat. The animals are engineered for maximum performance and, within this system, have become nothing more than (living) machines—while the farmer has been transformed into a manager of predefined programs and robotics.

6. Technominotaurus. An installation by Hungarian artist and researcher Daniel Szálai explores the largely invisible role of breeding bulls as carriers of genetic information. The multimedia installation highlights the physicality and mythical dimension of these male animals.

7. Octopus Choreographies. Using the small coastal community of Angeiras in northern Portugal as an example, this section explores the work and production chain of local fishermen and fisherwomen. In addition to cod, sea bass, shrimp, and lobster, they primarily catch large quantities of common octopus. However, the region has long been unable to meet the growing demand for fish driven by tourism—yet octopus fishing leaves a significant mark on the built environment.

8. Monks and Machines. Since the Middle Ages, carp farming has shaped part of the cultural landscape in Bavaria. Today, modern indoor aquaculture is giving rise to new forms of fish farming—even seafood such as shrimp can now be farmed inland. New technologies promise greater efficiency and shorter transport routes for products that are being purchased by an ever-growing number of consumers.

9. Hinterglobes. To enable people worldwide to consume ever-increasing amounts of meat, vast areas of land must be set aside for growing animal feed—often far from the places where the enormous numbers of cattle, pigs, and other animals live or where the meat is consumed. The “Hinterglobes” concept highlights the territorial dependencies of food production.

10. Soyscapes. The growing global demand for soy—used primarily as animal feed—remains the primary cause of the ongoing deforestation of the rainforest in Brazil. An illustrated essay traces the often opaque production and supply chains to Europe.

11. The Ukrainian Grain Supply Chain. By 2014, Ukraine had become a powerhouse in global grain production. This chapter analyzes how Russia’s war of aggression is deliberately destroying silos, irrigation systems, and fields, leaving behind land contaminated with landmines, and thereby also threatening UN aid programs in crisis regions.

12. Living Soils. Soils are the fundamental basis of nearly all food systems—a living network of microorganisms that recycles nutrients, filters water, and stores carbon. Yet due to overdevelopment, overfertilization, and erosion, this vitally important but limited layer of the earth is inexorably disappearing—and with it, the foundation of our food supply.

Opening: April 22, 2026, 7 p.m.