OUR MANIFESTO
we believe that art and food are inextricably linked and that they matter deeply
we believe in the soulful power of the handmade, whether it be bread, a painting or a symphony
we believe that the best kitchen smell is onion and garlic frying
we believe that there are too many artists who are going hungry due to the complexities of industry and culture, not lack of talent
we believe that having conversations about food and art can break stigmas, connect artists to their audience and cultivate community
we believe that “australia” always was and always will be Aboriginal Land
we believe everyone deserves the dignity of being able to access food
we believe that the age of the “Starving Artist” is over
we believe the best kitchen sound is the sound of someone who adores you, cooking your favourite meal
we believe in Stanley Tucci’s notion that “eating well is not just about what tastes good but about the connections that are made through the food itself”
we believe that the future of art lies in community (that’s you!)
we believe you’ve probably read enough and are ready for a snack
Chewing on the myth of ‘The Starving Artist’.
Long ago, artist Claire Lefebvre went on a date. After splitting the bill, her date tossed 60c across the table at her with a grin, “Here you go, for the Starving Artist”. It didn’t work out.
That wasn’t the first time she’d heard it, and it wouldn’t be the last, but something really stuck that night when she heard “STARVING ARTIST” (it stuck the way a poppyseed sticks between your two front teeth).
Since then, Claire has been hungrily pursuing and investigating the myth of ‘The Starving Artist’. Her ideas quickly developed into a smorgasbord of exploration and inquiry.
She wanted to know ‘what artists ate’, and how they went about it.
Claire’s initial intention was to create a book of interviews featuring creatives in their spaces, chatting about how they feel about ‘the myth’ and how they nourish themselves.
The pandemic saw a shift in the plan and a focus on the What Artists Eat Podcast. With sound artist and musician Zoltan Fecso onboard, the project has flourished. Since our launch in 2023 the project has evolved beyond podcast interviews to live events, merchandise, a recipe and resource library and a heartfelt online community.
WHO WE ARE
Zoltan Fecso
Zoltan Fecso is a musician, composer and artist living in Naarm/Melbourne.
Using prepared instruments, synthesisers, field recordings and electroacoustic techniques, his work aims to bring awareness to acoustic phenomena, connection to place and the many perceptual possibilities of listening.
With a wide-ranging practice includes performance, installation, public artwork, composition and collaboration, he has performed and presented work in Australia and Europe at STEIM, Amesterdam; CAMP, Aulus Les Bains, France; FestivALT, Krakow, Poland; JOLT Sonic Arts Festival, Melbourne; Melbourne Recital Centre; Gorman Arts Centre, Canberra; White Night, Melbourne; Winter Wild Festival, Apollo Bay; Sleepless Festival, Melbourne; Omniversal Hum, Melbourne, Humming Grotto, Sydney and Signals, Melbourne.
He has released music with Oxtail Recordings, Longform Editions, Whitelab Recs, Shimmering Moods, Slow Music Movement and Hush Hush Records. He believes in deep listening, cooking as a love language, Nature, creativity and the power of pickles.
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Claire Lefebvre
Claire Lefebvre (she/her) lives and works on Wurundjeri Land in Naarm/Melbourne, australia. She has held numerous solo exhibitions in Melbourne, Regional Victoria and Sydney since 2013, and has been included in group exhibitions in Melbourne, Albany (WA), Regional Victoria and Sydney since 2009. She holds a Masters of Fine Art (with Distinction) from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (2014) and a Bachelor of Visual Arts (Painting) from Monash University (2006).
Claire has been a finalist in the OMNIA Art Prize, Hornsby Art Prize, Albany Art Prize, and M Collection Award and in 2014 won the RMIT Alumni Award. She has completed directed and self-directed artist residencies in Barcelona (ESP), Naarm / Melbourne (AUS), Merimbula (AUS) and most recently was Artist-in-Residence and program participant with collaborator Zoltan Fecso for the Winter Wild Festival in Apollo Bay (AUS) in 2021 and 2022. In 2023 Claire and Zoltan launched their ongoing project 'What Artists Eat'.
Claire is a highly trained and qualified trauma and people informed practitioner with 19 years of experience and over 2000 hours of formal and self led yoga and meditation teacher training. She lives with Complex-PTSD and is passionate about the potential for healing and creativity when in a reciprocal relationship with the Natural world. Claire believes in storytelling, Nature, creativity, potatoes, ritual and community care.
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