With the launch of the Paris fashion Salon de Chocolat this month and the Christmas chocolate season drawing upon us, two Kilkenny artists, poet Carmel Cummins and artist Gillian Campden, are heading to Dublin next Thursday October 22 for the press opening of the Chocolate Festival Exhibition to be held at the No Grants Gallery (NGG ) Temple Bar Cultural Information Centre.
Their collaborative piece 'Theobroma Cacao' will form part of the exhibition running from October 21 – November 4.
Its title is the formal botanical name given by the great 18th century botanist Linneaus to the cacao plant from which chocolate is derived. 'Theobroma' literally means 'food of the gods'
Carmel and Gill worked together on the KIlkenny County Council and Chrysalis Arts public art project at Woodstock gardens this summer and have now combined their talents to produce this piece which is a reflection on the history that lies behind our chocolate confections of the 21st century.
This history shows chocolate was a delicious and valuable food as early as 2,000 years ago. It was a sacred and communal drink among the Mayan people who first discovered the cacao plant in the tropical rain forests of Central America.
Later, its value was recognised by their Aztec rulers and then by the Spanish colonists who brought chocolate as a luxury item to Europe. Its history is shadowed by the destruction of the Mayan civilisation and the decimation of its people.
In this piece Gillian’s art work is inspired by Mayan art, in particular, the 11th century manuscript, the Dresden Codex. The poem incorporates a quote from the Mayan story of creation and celebrates the food itself and its originators.
Both artists were struck by how the story of chocolate raises issues for us today in how we source and use food.
