Kollektionsküche was local research on the food industry in and around the city of Apolda in Thuringia, central Germany.  Departing from the ingredients of local specialities like the “Thüringer Wurst” and the geo-cultural history of its ingredients, in an applied approach, we systematically investigated all forms of food production in the area.

On multi-culinary public bike tours we visited production places in order to “harvest” ingredients , from deep frozen pizza to freshly spinned honey, that would be served for dinner in a temporary hotel as part of IBA Thüringen program (International Building Exhibition Thuringia 2012-2023). The project created alliances and made contradictions visible concerning the cycles and dead ends of food flows, touching upon a diverse public from all parts of Germany as well as very locally anchored actors.

Sausage products seasoned with curry, pepper, caraway or marjoram take us to different places and origins of food chains. The potato variations that are served with them also once came across the Atlantic. Pizza, Pekingente and Döner can be found in almost every medium sized German city, as can cookie, cold cuts and frozen food factories on the outskirts of the city that manufacture products for supermarket chains.

We investigate the area to follow traces of “local” into all corners, outcrops and hiding places of the city and to keep an eye out for food for our hotel kitchen.

With events, discussion formats and lectures by:

OnOff – walk through the industrial zone

Dr. Lutz Hengt – lecture: On European Eating Cultures

Elfi Lüdemann – guided tour and forging of wild herbs in the city park

ThüFleiWa – guided tour slaughter house

Filinchen – guided tour savory waffle / crispbred factory

Johannes Köhler – apple harvest

OnOff – milk and honey bike tour

Achim Krause – guided apiculture tour & coffee and cake

Zimmern-Agrargenossenschaft – guided tour milk factory

Elisabeth Mohr and Benjamin Deboosere – double-screening and discussion on animal husbandry

OnOff – dinner tour of Apolda’s Asian Cuisines

Irina Ziesche and family – three generation’s garden tour

Alison Hugill and Dan Dorocic – performative dinner discussion on kitchen design

Alice Barkhausen and Nils Kaffke – Kitchen Workshop & Closing Dinner