Squid Inc: Events & Research

Events: May 2018; CCA, Glasgow & Quay Commons, Edinburgh  

I coordinated these two events with a visiting artist from Catalonia. The events in Glasgow and Edinburgh in May 2018 were an artistic and gastronomic experience based on three elements: the squid, the ink and the paper.

Firstly, we learnt about Gyotaku, a traditional Japanese printing technique formerly used by fishermen to advertise their catch-of-the-day at fish markets.

After that, participants make their our own squid gyotaku, using squid ink and Asian handmade paper.

After a quick demo, they then prepped their squids so they were ready to eat! The classic recipe of deep-fried squid, calamari, was adapted by utilizing the squid’s ink in the batter before frying.

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The workshop was run by Eduard Pagès, an artist from Capellades, a small village of central Catalonia, often considered one of the cradles of paper culture in Europe. He explores and promotes food biodiversity and sustainability through the artistic possibilities of nature printing and hand papermaking. During the last years, Eduard has performed many gyotaku workshops around Catalonia in a wide range of venues, from design universities to food hubs and markets. He is a frequent collaborator of Slow Food Barcelona and has brought the art of gyotaku to some Slow Food main events: Salone del Gusto (2016, 2018), Slow Fish (2015, 2017).

Find out more about the research project connected with these events here.