TONOWASTE project was proud to support the exhibition “Food (Waste) in the City”, hosted at the Foyer Kulturhaus Brotfabrik in Vienna. Held on the 1st, 8th, and 22nd of April 2025, from 15:00 to 17:00, the exhibition invited visitors aged 4 and above to reflect on the role of food and food waste in our urban environments through a compelling visual journey.
Organised and hosted by OEAW-ITA and Caritas Stadtteilarbeit, and conceptualised and presented by Anja Bacovsky (OEAW-ITA), the exhibition showcased the photographic results of the Empirical City Walk carried out on the 25th of February 2025 in Valencia as part of the TONOWASTE Winter School.
During this walk, participants—divided into five small groups—engaged in a guided tour through the city of Valencia with a specific lens: observing urban life through the prism of food waste, sustainability, and our relationship with consumption. Equipped with analogue cameras (each loaded with 36-photo film rolls), action cards, thematic questions, and a route map, participants explored and documented their surroundings. They also supplemented their documentation with digital photos captured on personal smartphones.
The experience wasn’t just visual—it was participatory and reflective. As they walked, participants discussed healthy diets, food systems, and climate awareness, even sourcing their own lunch to further connect with the topic on a practical level. The guided tour offered an immersive exploration of overconsumption, food scarcity, the role of nature in cities, and the emotional dimensions surrounding food waste.
The Empirical City Walk method—developed to foster qualitative observation and a deeper understanding of urban spaces—encourages participants to build a personal relationship with the environment they study. As described by Ehmayer (2014), this urban-psychological approach creates a space for both individual insight and collective learning.
The Vienna exhibition invited visitors to interact with the photographic results of the walk—both analogue and digital. Attendees could reflect on the captured moments, select images, and cluster them based on their own impressions and experiences, thus contributing to an ongoing dialogue about food systems, sustainability, and the spaces we share.
Through this initiative, TONOWASTE continues to promote awareness and action around sustainable consumption and food waste prevention—bringing insights from Valencia to Vienna and beyond.
