EAT.BITZ
A data-driven oracle experience for exploring the biodiversity of the kitchen
An interactive installation combining ingredient oracle readings, a kaleidoscope viewer, and a custom digital platform to reveal the ecological dimensions of restaurant dishes. Created with Bernat Cuní and Genomic Gastronomy for Venn Canteen in Porto, as part of the ST3ER (Scaling Twin Transition in Tourism) project.
Project Overview
EAT.BITZ transforms the dining table into a site of ecological inquiry. Each dish served at Venn Canteen became an entry point into the biodiversity of the kitchen — the organisms, landscapes, and supply chains behind every ingredient. Rather than presenting this as a lecture or a menu annotation, EAT.BITZ made the information tangible and playful through three interlocking experiences: oracle card readings, a physical kaleidoscope viewer, and an interactive digital platform built on the BITZ data infrastructure.
The Oracle Cards
Diners received oracle card readings tied to the specific ingredients in their meal. Each card surfaced ecological and cultural stories embedded in the food — the pollinators behind a fruit, the soil fungi supporting a root vegetable, the migratory routes of a spice. The cards were designed to work both as standalone objects and as prompts for conversation, reframing each dish as a node in a larger living system rather than a finished product.
Kaleidoscope Viewer
A custom physical kaleidoscope viewer placed on each table let guests observe fragments of the micro-world of their ingredients — soil samples, plant structures, seed surfaces — transformed into immersive geometric patterns. The kaleidoscope made the invisible visible, offering a sensory encounter with the scale of life that exists below the threshold of the meal.
Digital Platform
The accompanying digital platform allowed guests to dive deeper into the biodiversity stories behind each dish. Built on the BITZ infrastructure, the platform connected ingredient data to species records, ecological relationships, and regional food system context. I developed the platform to pull structured biodiversity data into a format legible to curious eaters, bridging the gap between scientific datasets and the dinner table.
Event & Context
EAT.BITZ was presented at Venn Canteen in Porto as part of the ST3ER (Scaling Twin Transition in Tourism) project, which explores how the tourism and hospitality sector can embrace regenerative and digital transitions simultaneously. The collaboration brought together artist and digital craftsman Bernat Cuní, Genomic Gastronomy, and Venn Canteen to test what it looks like when a restaurant becomes a platform for ecological literacy.
