A return to primal and intense experiences is brewing in the world of art and design. It is clear that we are searching for multi-sensory and experiential stimuli which give us something all-encompassing and rich, rather than the mundane tasks of our daily lives. The rise of synaesthetic projects is evidence of this desire.

The work of Jinhyun Jeon is inspired by such a desire. As a recent graduate from the Design Academy Eindhoven, Jeon created a project entitled ‘Tableware as Sensorial Stimuli,’ seeking to infuse the daily ritual of eating with the phenomenon of synaesthesia. The project is a set of cutlery in which each piece is designed to engage more senses than simply taste, through a combination of temperature, color, texture, volume, and form.

“The tableware we use for eating should not just be a tool for placing food in our mouth,” writes Jeon, “but it should become extensions of our body, challenging our senses even in the moment when the food is still on its way to being consumed.”

By exploring synaesthesia through design, the artist hopes to enhance the role of tableware and cutlery, and to enrich the experience of eating by cross-wiring and activating multiple senses.

In the end, the project serves to create a more conscientious and joyful relationship with food, that satiates our primal desires for feeling and experience.

Text by Ryan Moritz

jjhyun.com