Creator: Christopher Alan Slater
Exhibition: Inedible Cakes
Published: February 2020
Format: Performance, Baking
The inedibility of the dessert in this case becomes something more like the ultimate hipster foodie challenge for the suicidally bored. A dare to play the dessert version of Russian roulette.
Christopher Alan Slater, from Ragebaking the Hot Takes Away, an essay
Description of the Work
The unsuspecting salon visitor first sees a table laid out with brochures and refreshments and the cupcakes. The cupcakes are laid out in rows with little folded cards at the foot of each column. The devil’s food cupcakes look sweet with a vanilla white icing and black sugar sprinkles.
When they approach the table, grab a brochure, they notice the large writing on the first sign: “SPICY HOT TAKE CUPCAKE – $1.00”
Next to that is another sign with a waiver written in some generic legalese that supposedly indemnifies the maker of the cupcakes from legal action based on the results of someone ingesting one of the cupcakes. They must sign the third sheet, agreeing to the waiver.
Some are immediately turned away, they have no money.
Some are put off by the waiver and don’t want to sign.
Other’s still can’t handle spice and aren’t brave enough to try.
But some are curious, and have a spare dollar to pay.
The performing artist then asks if they want a spicy one or an extra-spicy one.
Either way, the artist delivers a cupcake and hot take and watches as the “customer” takes their first bites and begins to feel the burn of both the hot take in their mind and the spicy cupcake in their stomach.
Which is worse? Does one affect the other?
Linked Essay
- Ragebaking the Hot Takes Away, an essay by Christopher Alan Slater
