Bread Waste Globe

According to a report from the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, an estimated 18 million metric tons of food are wasted in Germany each year, with bread and bakery products accounting for a significant portion of this waste. Approximately 5.7 million metric tons of bread and bakery products are wasted in Germany annually, which amounts to roughly 68.7 kilograms per person.

This globe-shaped sculpture holds the amount of bread wasted a year inside of it, because what we eat and what we don't eat affects the entire world. The 12-minute sound piece that accompanies this work was made in collaboration with the artists Lynn Peemoeller, Thomas Meyer, and Christoph Büscher, and represents the whole process of making bread throughout the year, divided into 4 seasons. From the seed growing inside the earth, passing through the rain, the sun, the wind blowing in the fields, the dance of the wheat, the harvesting, the universe of the bacteria fermenting the dough, and the art of baking the bread.

Eating is a necessary part of life — without food, we cannot survive. However, the impact of food on our world and society is significant, as the demand for food has contributed to a number of major global crises, including environmental degradation, climate change, extinction of animals and plants, hunger, and health issues. This sculpture highlights the enormity of the problem, but also serves as an invitation to take action by eating the bread it contains, and making choices that have a positive impact on the planet.

Despite the efforts of governments and media to raise awareness about food waste and hunger, these issues continue to grow around the world. Art has the power to shift perspectives and touch people's hearts, and food is a universal language that can be understood by people of all ages and cultures.

Work commissioned by Ecologic Institut. Concept/Idea: Tainá Guedes Production of the artwork: Anne DukHee Jordan Designer (Poster and promotion materials): Amadeus Lindemann Photos: Chiara Spreafico Bread: Märkisches Landbrot Bäckerei Sound piece: Lynn Peemoeller, Thomas Meyer and Christoph Buescher Special thanks: Iara Guedes