conductive ice cream orchestrates a musical licking performance

conductive ice cream orchestrates a musical licking performance
(above) image courtesy of carla diana

at the intersection of food and performance art, new york city-based designers emilie lucie baltz and carla diana with musician arone dyer of buke & gase present ‘lickestra’, an instrumental licking performance. for the project, the team has positioned a series of conductive, flavored ice creams onto four white pedestals, each triggering a various sound when licked. from deep baselines to high-pitched ringing tones, the noises and notes produced generate a symphonic tune when played as a group, and an abstract melody when only one person is independently licking their cone. baltz elaborates, ‘from improvisation to orchestration, the eater becomes a performer as the primitive act of licking reaches beyond flavor perception to become an instrument for play.’ the ‘4-piece band’ works together to create music through food, and the ‘lickestra’ orchestra only finishes when all the ice cream is licked.

a performer licks his conductive ice cream, producing a sound
image courtesy of carla diana
 
the ice cream is conducive, meaning that the act of touch generates a reaction
image courtesy of carla diana

a performance of ‘lickestra’
image courtesy of nicola twilley

coaching a performer through the ice cream licking act
image courtesy of nicola twilley