Cultural Events

A multimedia exhibition dedicated to the gastronomic cultural heritage of Dubrovnik

The Pilot Action in Dubrovnik involves the organization and launch of a multimedia exhibition dedicated to the gastronomic cultural heritage of the Dubrovnik area (the territory of the former Republic of Ragusa). The aim of the exhibition is to draw the attention of the wider public to a vast cultural treasure that has been undervalued to the extent that it has almost vanished from local menus, the local language, tourist activities, exhibition venues, and scientific work.

The exhibition’s central component is a series of video interviews conducted by the project team within the framework of the field research. These are presented alongside the material collected during the desk research phase. The exhibition also involves a sensory component, as some of the products and dishes mentioned by the interviewees will be provided for tasting.

Through the exhibition the visitors will gain insight into the gastro-cultural treasures of the region (there will be a geographic representation of the whole territory showing the places mentioned in the interviews and where the interviewees are from) and they will receive information about the interviewees’ professions. Words in the local dialect that refer to traditional production processes, tasting, or food celebrations will be highlighted, as language and dialects are part of the richness of the local culture.

The exhibition aims to present visitors a view of the past and current dynamics between the City of Dubrovnik and the surrounding area that “feeds” the city. It also seeks to help visitors create a mental map of the territory, which functioned as integrated whole for centuries but which has become fragmented into separate units due to the current administrative organization. Understanding these dynamics will let visitors engage with the region in a more meaningful way.

As a result of the careful selection of interviewees, the visitors will get an insight into the social and economic processes that have led to the situation that the gastro-cultural heritage of Dubrovnik finds itself in today, and they will also learn about how to properly revitalize this heritage in the contemporary context.

The idea behind the exhibition is to spark the interest of the general public in the local gastronomic cultural heritage so that they can become actively involved in its preservation, and to demonstrate that the people who keep this heritage alive today have very little support, aid, or backing, something that must change.