TUESDAY, JUNE 3
Orto Botanico dell’Università di Torino
6 p.m.
June 3 | June 15, 2025
OPENING HOURS ORTO BOANICO
- Weekdays: 10 am – 4 pm
- Saturday: 2:30 pm – 7 pm
- Sunday: 10 am – 7 pm
Sound and Food Perception
An interactive installation by Vincenzo Guarnieri
We use not only our mouth, eyes, nose, and hands to eat but also our ears.
When we think about which of our senses are involved in eating, the sense of hearing doesn’t usually come to mind, yet neuroscience has demonstrated that sound can influence our perception of the food we eat, drink, prepare, and buy. Sound can make a dish more savory or sweeter without additional salt or sugar. We can tell when a food product is good by the sound it makes while we’re chewing it or imagine its goodness when opening the package or pronouncing its name. This type of information is essential for chefs and neuromarketers alike. It’s something everyone should know about, too.
The installation provides a performative multisensory experience that combines food and drink, volume and frequency. Visitors stand with a music score in front of them and improvise sounds using simple gestures. The result is unpredictable, a sort of “sound soup” that tastes good or horrid or hot or cold or sweet or bitter, light or…
Vincenzo Guarnieri created on the same theme the installation entitled “Food Sound – il suono nascosto del cibo” currently on show at MUSE – Museo delle Scienze di Trento until 11 January 2026.
Credits
Author: Vincenzo Guarnieri
Scientific committee and sound production
Massimiliano Zampini – Centro Interdipartimentale Mente/Cervello (CIMeC), Università di Trento
Louena Shtrepi, Davide Cetani e Lorenzo Lavagna – Politecnico di Torino
Luisa Torri e Riccardo Migliavada – Università di Scienze gastronomiche di Pollenzo (CN)
Project partner: MUSE – Museo delle Scienze di Trento
Interaction design, set up, and service: Fabio Lombardo e Rajan Craveri (VI.MA)
