From animated artworks to ‘floating chairs’, immersive dinners are turning to multimedia tech like never before. Are guests eating it up?
My dinner course is served. It is covered by a Campbell’s-inspired soup can, lightly angled so strands of broccoli are peeking out. I lift the can to uncover a slow-braised short rib and mashed potatoes. It is an American dish to represent an American artist – Andy Warhol.
The room is filled with projections, scenes of bustling New York traffic paired with bachelor-pad-like guitar riffs. Warhol silkscreens are shown on a wall above a dinner table.
It is a Friday night in West Hollywood, and I am surrounded by a mix of out-of-towners and those celebrating an anniversary. While this is a special occasion, we are urged to get a little messy with our food – to use our hands, to paint with a salad, to draw on a cookie.
Play is the primary side dish at 7 Paintings, a tech-infused dinner event that aims to be a crash course in fine art.
“Have you ever eaten a painting before?” says Nadine Beshir, the Dubai-based creator of 7 Paintings. “We try to get people out of their comfort zones and eating paper. I want to bring out the child in them.”
