Carles Tarrassó is the AC/E Resident for 2026

Carles Tarrassó, photo credits: Magdalena García

Gastronomer and artist Carles Tarrassó has been selected for this year’s AC/E residency at the EKWC, with a proposal to preserve the shape and structure of fruits and vegetables in clay as they dry out and decay. He drew inspiration from the still-life genre, which – especially in seventeenth-century Netherlands – serves as a reminder of life’s transience through its depiction of wealth.

Tarrassó connects the still life to the boundary between art and life, which has been examined and re-examined in modern and contemporary art for over a century, ever since Cubist papier collé and the readymade. At the same time, his proposal alludes to the increasing loss of biodiversity – a transience of a different order.

To bring these themes together, Tarrassó intends to use fruits and vegetables from historic botanical gardens in the Netherlands, which he will also incorporate as edible elements to make taste, scent, and colour tangible.

Carles Tarrassó (1995) pursued a B.A. in gastronomy and culinary arts, followed by master’s degrees in gastronomic science (specializing in avant-garde cuisine) and ecological humanities (sustainability and eco-social transition). His work includes installations, gastronomic events and projects that he exhibits and carries out internationally. He also gives lectures and organizes symposia.

The annual AC/E residency is specifically aimed at artists, designers and architects of Spanish nationality and is made possible by Acción Cultural Española. Tarrassó’s proposal was selected because it combines a technically challenging project with pressing issues, and promises to blend ceramics with a unique gastronomic experience.