Alchemist and Mugaritz meet in a rebellious culinary collaboration

Many of us are looking forward to November 15, when the disruptive and rebellious culinary universes of Andoni Luis Aduriz, Mugaritz, and Rasmus Munk, Alchemist, are coming together for a one-day-only experimental dining experience in Copenhagen.

The event will be hosted at Alchemist, at Refshaleøen in Copenhagen, and the holistic dining space will showcase dishes from Mugaritz – and the performances and artwork in Alchemist’s planetarium dome will also be inspired by current and past projects and collaborations at the iconic Basque venue.

Rasmus Munk. Photo: Alchemist

Mugaritz, with Andoni Luis Aduriz at its helm, has since its opening in 1998 been striving to push the borders for what a restaurant experience can be. Casting off the label “restaurant”, Mugaritz has been named “the most important gastronomic phenomenon of the world in recent times”. They have in recent years decided to close down their dining space for a few months per year to pursue new scientific and artistic endeavours.

Andoni Luis Aduriz. Photo: Alex Iturralde

Andoni Luis Aduriz will be travelling to Copenhagen with his team, intent on also introducing the two restaurants’ Research and Development teams to each other’s universes.

Suspension, squid silk / Mugaritz. Photo José Luis López de Zubiría

“Although they are two very different spaces, Mugaritz and Alchemist share the same drive that pushes them to do what they do in the culinary world. That drive is to make gastronomy a vehicle to create emotions, confront our prejudices, and make us rethink the reality in which we live. Undoubtedly, this is a unique encounter that will leave no one indifferent”, says Andoni Luis Aduriz about the collaboration.

1984. Photo: Alchemist

Alchemist, headed by Rasmus Munk, opened in 2019, intending to merge art, science, and gastronomy into a holistic experience with an activist approach to environmental and social issues.

First kiss – natura / Mugaritz. Photo: José Luis López de Zubiría

“It is a great honour for me to host one of the world’s most innovative chefs, as well as one of my biggest role models here at Alchemist. I am looking very much forward to this creative ‘mashup’, featuring dishes, visualizations, sound, and ambience from both restaurants’ current and past incarnations. I hope that we can create a new kind of experience, showcasing gastronomy’s inherent ability to convey strong artistic and social messages on many levels”, says Rasmus Munk about the upcoming event.

Thinking outside the box. Photo: Alchemist

Tickets for the event sold out in minutes, but there will also be a possibility of exploring Andoni Luis Aduriz’s vision at a public talk on November 14. At the talk, entitled “Beyond the plate”, the two chefs, their teams, and guest speakers will explore how provocation, displeasure, and even disgust, can be integrated into a restaurant experience.

Follow on Tuesday the 15th of November 2022 at 8 pm CET @hdg_andrejalajh for live updates!

The planetarium dome at Alchemist. This universe is called Under Water and raises awareness of plastic in our oceans.

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