Eina, Barcelona University Centre of Design and Art has inaugurated the exhibition "Disfrutar and Eina: the gastronomic event," which showcases the trajectory of collaboration between both the restaurant Disfrutar and the relevance of gastronomy at Eina since its founding.
The event, which took place at the Eina Bosc facilities, was attended by Oriol Castro, chef at Disfrutar; José Mª Milá, vice president of the Eina Foundation Board of Trustees; Tània Costa, academic director of the school; and Xavier Olivé, curator of the exhibition along with Josep Aregall.
An enriching collaboration in the creative field
The connection between Disfrutar and Eina began in 2022 within the Bachelor of Design studies. The third-year students from the Projects subject, led by Max Enrich, are seeking conceptual solutions for culinary experiences while opening scenarios for the interpretation of the different ways of presenting dining proposals that are offered during meals. Among all the projects carried out, the Disfrutar team makes a selection for the restaurant.
"This collaboration brings us fresh and novel ideas, and students understand and learn how the real world works along with the process of designing and building a model from a proposition or needs," says Oriol Castro.
"As a creative restaurant, we always appreciate the value of new stimuli coming in, and we like to participate and be attentive to the students' creation process since we think that the most important thing is not the final piece, but everything that has been done up to that point," states the chef. The connection between Disfrutar and Eina remains strong and has opened frontiers into other subjects such as Drawing Strategies, within the 1st year of the Bachelor of Design, with the DibuixarDisfrutar project, which features the culinary universe of the restaurant as its guiding line.
Working with the Disfrutar team is a challenge all of its own. "The most interesting thing about this project is that we collaborate with the best chefs in the world, the three most outstanding ones in their field, who put a great emphasis on creativity in their work. Their passion for innovation and their dedication to exploring new techniques are fundamental for both their work and ours as designers," notes Max Enrich, supervisor of the projects. "Simply put, the ability to innovate every minute that the Disfrutar team spends together is fascinating, not to mention the ability to positively surprise the chefs with the design proposals from Eina students," he adds.
University and business: an engine of innovation and a bridge to the professional world
The collaboration between Disfrutar and Eina is an example of the links that Eina fosters and strengthens with companies and institutions as a key strategy to enrich the dynamics of student learning and as a bridge of interaction between the academic and professional sectors. This is successful by adopting various methodologies such as workshops, curricular projects within the framework of the subjects, or extracurricular initiatives.
"Participating in real challenges places students in a committed position within their environment, connecting them with situations that are difficult to simulate in the university context. This experience provides them with rigour and expands their systemic vision on the viability, value, industrialization, and launching of a project," states Javier Nieto Cubero, Eina's director of innovation and business. He continues: "Collaborating companies value these work methods very positively as they allow them to explore new areas of action, discover innovative and unique approaches, and learn about new work methodologies."
Eina ant the gastronomic event: a chronology of activities from 1978-2024
Throughout its history, Eina has supported cuisine as a cultural phenomenon and has been interested in gastronomy in terms of creation, rituals, sensibility, imagination, and its value as a social and cultural event.
The exhibition brings together a series of activities and events that highlight how "we have defended culinary culture since 1978 at Eina," explains Xavier Olivé, curator of the exhibition.
The range of activities offered include the seminars Taste in the kitchen (1978), Taste and style: exchanging sensations (1981), Taste and style: the artist's kitchen (1995); the conferences and activity series You are what you eat (2022); the culinary montage Guino de Guinovart (2028), staged by Xavier Olivé at the Design Museum of Barcelona; the action-show Imaginary animals (1985); the doctoral theses related to gastronomy and design; and a sample of books dedicated by their authors to the new section of the Eina Gastronomy and Taste Library.
These events have been attended by individuals including: Ferran Adrià, Sergi Aguilar, Francesc Artigau, Josep Bagà, Núria Bàguena, Ramon Cabau, Xavier Canal, Jordi Casa, Isabel Causadias, Marta Coll, Jesús Contreras, Xavier Duran, Antoni Escribà, Miquel Espinet, Joanot Gabarró, Carles Gaig, Maria Girona, Montse Guillén, Josep Guinovart, Carles Hac Mor, Camila Hamm, Jordi Ibáñez, Oriol Ivern, Joan Enric Lahosa, Toni Massanés, Juan Mediavilla, Antoni Miralda, Jean Louis Neichel, Ada Parellada, Pep Palau, Jordi Parramon, Xavier Pellicer, Josep Piera, Guillem Pla, Pere Portabella, Fermí Puig, Albert Ràfols Casamada, Enric Rovira, Carme Rubio, Carme Ruscalleda, Carlos Santos, Francesc Todó, Llorenç Torrado, Montse Vendrell, Helena Vergés, Agustí Villalonga, David Ymbernón, and Yves Zimmermann.
All these events are presented in the publication "Eina and the gastronomic event: a chronology of activities from 1978-2024," which can be viewed on the school's website.
Disfrutar and Eina: the gastronomic event
Studies: Bachelor of Design
Subject: Projects 6
Teacher: Max Enrich
Students: Inés Abad de Balanzó, Francina Ayuso Bagur, Jan Bailo Lladó, Eli Boix Castañe, Carla Bosch López, Unai Bruna Arroyo, Jani Cabau Castañé, Biel Coll Palomares, Nina Conesa Bagué, Àfrica Díez Pérez, Marcel Domènech Figueras, Pedro Figuereo Jiménez, Claudia Grau Berenguer, Alexia Gutiérrez González, Eva Hayek Castan, Raúl Lacueva Andrés, Marta López Guerreiro, Eduard Martinez Morillo, Maria Montes Polonio, Carla Oliver Martínez, Bruno Ortiz Noriega, Bruna Parramon Cabanas, Laia Poy Ros, Juan Puig Sala, Nicole Rocamora Freixas, Rocío Rodríguez Hidalga, Iku Sala Miura, Maria Serrallonga Rovira, Sergi Serrano Bernat, Deepika Soler Montserrat, Iris Tallada Cuadros, Umberto Zanette, Xóchitl Zarate Tlamaxco.
Image, from left to right and from top to bottom: ‘El final más dulce’ by Rocío Rodríguez Hidalga; ‘Elevación’ by Marta López Guerreiro; ‘A través’, by Marta López Guerreiro; and ‘Coca de llardons’ by Francina Ayuso. Photo: Claudia Mauriño.