As a natural extension of the celebration event Sotto la Luna Piena for the project ROOTED RITUALS, a ritual was held in a library — Mooncake Fantasy, where tradition and future met in a food design workshop. Through lunar and seasonal metaphors, participants explored the relationship between food, nature, and community, reflecting on sustainability and conscious consumption. This co-design and collective storytelling experience used the moon as a poetic guide to imagine new rituals and more resilient food systems.

Participants worked in groups with the Ingredient Cards, tools that weave together lunar and seasonal metaphors with contemporary themes. Guided by the cards, they shaped imaginary recipes for the future, reinterpreting traditional mooncakes and creating conceptual dishes that blend memories, desires, and practices of care for more conscious and participatory food systems. The library became a communal circle for listening, sharing, and building deep connections. The workshop transformed into a space for creative co-design and participatory storytelling, where the moon acted as a poetic guide to recover embodied food rituals, foster food literacy, and generate new visions for more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable systems.

About ROOTED RITUALS

ROOTED RITUALS is a site-specific public art initiative that weaves together participatory performances and food design workshops, fostering meaningful and embodied connections between people and food. The project emerged as one of the winners of the European call Feed Your Future – Engaging Youth for Creative Climate Action, promoted by Rede DLBC Lisboa and coordinated by the Municipality of Milan within the Creative Europe framework. It was realized through the collaboration of JOYY! Food Design, Laboratorio Silenzio, Social Design Lab, and APICAIA – Association for Italy-Asia Cultural and Artistic Exchange. Activities took place in selected neighborhoods of Milan, areas where access to food knowledge and cultural participation is often limited, yet ripe for new narratives and shared spaces.