While staying in Buenos Aires I noticed this amazing piece of artwork at our hotel. It’s an image of former First Lady of Argentina, Eva Perón, created entirely with different types of bread and resin on wood.
I had never before seen this form of art, created by a collective called the Mondongo Group. Mondongo is, apparently, a stew made from tripe, popular in the Dominican Republic and other Latin American countries. The name of the group reflects this concept of food – a popular dish with a great mix of ingredients (but only if you like tripe!)
For its works the group uses organic materials and foodstuffs treated with a solution of resin to prevent it from decaying. From a distance they look like conventional paintings, but on closer examination you can see the raw material and it makes you want to touch it.
The Esplendor Buenos Aires (now a Wyndham Hotel) acquired a collection of works by the Mondongo Group in 2006, turning its corridors into a large art gallery.
Among other portraits featured in the gallery is this one of Andy Warhol, rendered in colour preservatives and also on wood.
I’m always fascinated at how clever people are!