Food for thought at Science Gallery Bengaluru: ‘Calorie' takes visitors through history and evolution of their primary energy source

Indian Express

a day ago

The Science Gallery Bengaluru on August 9 began its third physical exhibition season at their premises in Hebbal under the theme 'Calorie'. The various exhibits, artworks, films and interactive experiences are aimed at making visitors think about the source of their food as well as their relationship with it.
The exhibition was inaugurated by Dr Ekroop Kaur, Secretary of the Department of Electronics, IT, Biotechnology, and Science and Technology; Dr Kiran Mazumdar Shaw of Biocon, one of the patrons of the gallery; and Dr Jahnavi Phalkey, director of the gallery.
'Calorie' spans a range of themes. It highlights the potential of edible insects and features tactile artistic displays like Ragi.net, which shows ragi seedlings growing from a bed of discarded e-waste. The exhibition explores the origins of grains through a display of dozens of rice varieties, while its conclusion is represented through a sculpture by artist Dayananda Nagaraju that depicts a tower of gunny sacks used for storing crops.
Other thought-provoking artworks on display include food waste that has been dehydrated into pill form, as well as a sculpture room representing drying racks for the Bombay duck, accompanied by recipes for its preparation.
Some exhibits are more practical, featuring boxes where edible crickets are cultivated and a large aquarium for rearing molluscs. The displays address issues related to food scarcity, including photographs from the Madras famine and other exhibits.
'Calorie' also includes interactive elements for visitors. One activity invites participants to weave a physical strand through blocks symbolising genes, allowing them to create their own concept for a rice strain. Another activity offers a twist on the classic video game Snake, incorporating elements that encourage players to consider the impacts of scarcity and global warming.
The previous exhibition, Carbon, took a similarly broad approach, with exhibits as diverse as graphene sheets at the nano-scale seen in virtual reality, or photographic displays of India's coal mines.
Dr Shaw said at the inauguration, 'I am delighted to be part of yet another exhibition season, which explores how every calorie fuels life and the vital links between food systems, ecosystems, farming, and climate. It urges us to rethink how we use resources, grow crops, and adapt to climate change. Like our past work on carbon, it is a space for young minds and experts to question, experiment, and shape ideas that can influence policy.'
Speaking to the Indian Express, director Jahnavi Phalkey said, 'Calorie explores our relationship to food and nutrition: what we eat, who grows and makes our food, how it reaches our table across social groups….we have chosen ideas that are based in research and travel well in the public domain. We want our audience to explore what they know and what more is there to know so that they can make informed choices about their own food habits.'
She added, 'Our exhibits, as always, come from across the globe including India, and across formats from video games to photographs so that everyone can start to draw ideas from where they are comfortable.'
The exhibition will be open for visitors free of charge until July next year.