Flavorwire

Exquisitely arranged and rotting apart, this food is way past its expiration date. Austrian artist Klaus Pichler responds to a United Nations study that says one third of all food products in the world go to waste. Behold — watermelon, eggs, and strawberry cream, engulfed in spores, crawling with maggots, and dripping with putrid liquid. And looking gorgeous! Spotted by Nerdcore, each elaborate, classically arranged still-life in Pichler’s extensive photo essay One Third comes with a full list of sobering figures on each item’s origin, cultivation method, transporting distance, means of transportation, and carbon footprint. The images are strangely appealing, but the food is clearly in severe states of degeneration and terrifying inedible. Yet, it’s the chronic wastefulness of modern food culture that leaves a bad taste in our mouth.

Photo credit: Klaus Pichler. STRAWBERRIES. Place of production: San Giovanni Lupatoto, Verona, Italy. Cultivation method: Foil green house * Time of harvest: June – October. Transporting distance: 741 km * Means of transportation: Truck. Carbon footprint (total) per kg: 0,35 kg * Water requirement (total) per kg: 348 l. Price: 7,96 € / kg