Food waste: Ephemeral excess, performance and the ethics of consumption in art

This article examines the critical intersection of artistic expression and ecological responsibility, particularly regarding the use and waste of food in visual arts, performing arts and film. It argues that the ethical implications of using food in art extend beyond symbolic meaning, demanding a critical examination of its tangible ecological and moral impacts. Unexamined use of food in creative practices risks perpetuating harmful consumption patterns. Therefore, the article proposes a framework for evaluating ethical food waste in art, outlining specific criteria for artists to align their work with current ecological and ethical imperatives. Further, it delves into food waste – encompassing both pre-consumption discards and post-digestion bodily waste – through the lens of performance art and autoethnography. The authors introduce the concept of ‘embodied commentary’, highlighting that the physical act of food waste, recontextualized through performance art, can offer a potent, non-verbal critique of ecological disengagement. With it, they aim to provide an understanding of how art can cultivate mindfulness about consumption, resource allocation and the consequences of waste by analysing rituals and reflections surrounding food waste as a journey from the artistic body to the sociopolitical sphere.