Photo credit: Janet Donovan
“Spain has been known for its cuisine for a long time,” said Ambassador Ramon Gil-Casares at the former residence on 16th Street, now a cultural center. “For the last twenty-five or thirty years, our nouvelle cuisine is recognized as the best in the world. It developed along with an industry of designs – Spanish designs, Spanish designers focused on Spanish cuisine and you will see that from the early seventies until late in the 20th century, 21st century. All sorts of things have been designed in and around the cuisine and that is what we’re showcasing today.”
The Ambassador of Spain, Ramon Gil-Casares
The center was turned into a scenic TAPAS wonderland in honor of Spain’s culinary accomplishments reflecting Spain’s ability to incorporate design and creativity as characteristic values of cuisine and gastronomy.
“Curated by Juli Capella and organized by Acción Cultural Española (AC/E), TAPAS showcases imagination and talent targeting the taste buds, where design and haute cuisine go hand in hand. Spanish chefs, including DC’s own chef José Andrés, designers, architects, wineries and restaurants reflect the last 25 years of Spain’s avant-garde experimental blending of design and food.
The exhibition is divided in three sections: the kitchen, about preparation and utensils; the table, for objects used to sample food; and the meal, on food design. Legendary culinary icons from Spain are also featured, including the paella pan, traditional wineskins and flasks, the bota, botijo and porrón. To complement the more than two hundred objects on display, TAPAS includes a large collection of wine bottles which stand out for their bold and appealing labels, and audiovisual presentations featuring a selection of interior design in Spanish restaurants and a selection of wineries from across Spain which stand out for the quality of their architecture, including works by Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid and Rafael Moneo.
A festival of shapes and materials in the most diverse styles, nourished from a rich store of ingenuity, experimentation and sensuality, TAPAS reflects Spain’s ability to incorporate design and creativity as characteristic values of cuisine and gastronomy.” Press Notes
“You will find interesting things, funny things, things that are amusing that may surprise you,” added Gil-Casare. “Here in Washington, the Spanish cuisine is well represented.” He went on to mention the role that Jose Andres has played.
As regards other institutions, he gave a shout out to Taberna del Alabadero. “It has become a Washington Institution. This year it is going to become 25 years since they opened and like many people, I go more often than not and I see politicians, diplomats, artists and Washingtonians in general enjoying the traditional Spanish cuisine so we are very thankful that they are enriching the Spanish scene.”
And thank you. We’ll take the chair!
