Genco Gülan, The Painter's Directions (Ricette del Pittore) 2025.
Genco, unable to resist the audience's intense insistence, finally produced an edible work of art. The first product of this project, titled "Ricette del Pittore," is an edition of the food product " Taste of the Rainbow ." Genco Gülan is selling his work, made entirely from 100% natural ingredients and nuts, under the Peraru label.
Contemporary artist Genco Gülan often uses food materials in his contemporary artworks, which span a variety of disciplines. These materials can occasionally take on the form of "food art" (e.g., Surname at the Duisburg Accente Festival, 2009). Yet, Gülan's visual works often lack a platonic relationship with the viewer! Genco's works are often inedible. But there are exceptions!
Gülan is interested in both the material itself and its symbolic meanings. Therefore, cocoa, the "food of God," has always captivated him. The artist's artworks using cocoa over the years have generated considerable interest, entering important collections (e.g., EKAV, 2014) and being cited in prestigious books (e.g., Twelve Caesars, Mary Beard, 2021). The artist's sculptures using chocolate have been exhibited in galleries and art fairs (e.g., CI 2024, Akbank Sanat), and currently, "The Dark Side of the Moon" (2024) is on display at the Tariria Culture, Art, and Gastronomy Center in Van.
Artist Genco Gülan loves chocolate in his daily life and consumes it frequently. He particularly prefers sugar-free, uniquely sourced, handmade chocolates adorned with nuts. "If I were to design a chocolate bar for myself," Gülan wondered, "how would I make it and what would I include and exclude?" and compiled a list. He called this list "The Painter's Recipe" (Ricette del Pittore). He shared the recipe with his regular customer, Peraru , a bean-to-bar chocolate maker in Ortaköy, and they embarked on a collaborative art project.
Gülan pays particular attention to preparing his creations under hygienic conditions. He uses handmade, unsweetened chocolate made with his beloved 100% Maya Mountain cocoa beans from Belize. Belize is a Caribbean country on the equatorial belt, off the northeastern coast of Central America. Chocolate made from these beans carries floral, pineapple, and honey notes. It might evoke memories of fermented foods (e.g., wine, yogurt). Flavor varies depending on the bean and the region. And we want to emphasize, the unsweetened, fruity flavor can be quite different for unfamiliar palates.
When creating his own recipe, Genco Gülan sought to make an extraordinary flavor even more extraordinary. He prioritized visual appeal and avoided any unnatural additives. The artist also listened to the suggestions of his health and vegan friends. Gülan's recipe contained no milk, sugar, or preservatives. As an artist, he topped the chocolate with colorful (unroasted) nuts, spices, and seeds, creating an edible visual feast titled "Taste of the Rainbow" (2025).
For the project, titled "Taste of the Rainbow," Gülan compiled a list of everyday, ordinary, edible ingredients, seeking an unusual combination and an unconventional flavor. He added seven different natural ingredients to the chocolate, evoking the seven colors of the rainbow. He used all of these additions visually, without hiding any of them:
100% single origin chocolate, raisins, dried blueberries, chili peppers, raw cashews, poppy seeds, unroasted pumpkin seeds and pistachios.
This combination of ingredients, placed on a pure cocoa bar, claimed to offer the audience both a visual and a unique palate treat. Gülan, incorporating the bittersweet color into the chocolate, also recalled and evoked the alternative approach of the famous Lindt chocolates, but the bittersweet flavor in his own addition wasn't ground or concealed, adding a visual touch with its red color. It ensured the flavor lingered on your palate for minutes.
Genco Gülan Her work, "Taste of the Rainbow," was produced as a limited edition of Ricette del Pittore under the Peraru label. Gülan also hand-painted the packaging of her uniquely crafted artwork with acrylic paints, one by one. Each package is unique. Edible artworks created using the Painter's Recipe are available in limited editions!
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