In the face of global food shortages, humans need to re-examine our food sources. One presenting itself as a sustainable and nutritious option is the unassuming bat. These flying mammals have been a delicacy in some cultures for centuries, but this ancient dish is often viewed with disgust in the Western world.
Yet with some bat populations declining, is it problematic to consume them? Should they instead be revered for their vital impact on our ecosystem? How do we navigate notions of delicacy, disgust and interspecies empathy as we radically rethink the norms of global consumption?
Set in an imagined night market where bat species are extinct, BAT NIGHT MARKET intersects performance, speculative design and science. Audiences are invited to celebrate these enigmatic animals in an evening of discussions, games, tastings and sensory experiences.
Creative R&D for BAT NIGHT MARKET took place in Taiwan at Taipei Performing Arts Center and here in the UK at Science Gallery London, where artists Kuang-Yi Ku and Robert Johnson collaborated with a number of King’s researchers. These included Lucy Di Silvio, a Professor of Tissue Engineering; PhD researcher Martha Gallardo Galaviz; anthropologist Ann Kelly; and Gemma Bowsher, who works at the interface of health security and biological threats. Together, their combined expertise and scientific knowledge have helped design this imagined future.
