Slow/Fast. Piccoli oggetti al di là dell'interno

Abstract

Contemporary behavioural scenarios change quickly, linked to habits aimed at continuous displacements, with variable panoramas and places of reference. Human activities, traditionally related with the domestic interior, are located outside. New paces and frenetic ways of life reduce to a minimum the time dedicated to primary needs, primarily the need for eating. Lunch breaks are quick and optimised, the rituals of "eating together around the table" have changed profoundly, often relegated to a few small occasions. The result is an essential relapse into the world of objects, ready to condense the ritual of solitary consumption of the meal, in a simple and immediate, rapid gesture. At the same time, there is another trend that, by resuming consumption rituals closely related to a rediscovered conviviality, often related to the world of nature and outdoor activities, tends to bring the act of eating to a primordial condition of slow and peaceful enjoyment, which does not sacrifice the food preparation, the aspect of a laid table, the sharing of the meal. Design introduces a series of objects, easily transportable and multifunctional, capable of responding to these dynamics, often through very high creative and experimental methods. The article investigates the two sides of this phenomenon and exemplifies it with a range of contemporary projects of objects, which, albeit small in size, have a significant effect in the rituals associated with eating a meal.