M.O.L.D. Press Release

M.O.L.D. Bioindicator, Concept Image, 2009

M.O.L.D. by Finishing School

Performance: Sunday, May 3, 2009 at 12-4pm

Exhibition Dates: May 3 - June 14, 2009

Angels Gate Cultural Center
3601 S. Gaffey St. San Pedro, CA
3105190936
www.angelsgateart.org
info@angelsgateart.org

M.O.L.D. Patch, Edition of 100, 2009

About the Project

M.O.L.D. is a hot zone-themed wet lab and workshop that investigates the science, politics, and culture of food decomposition. The audience is invited to participate in various experiments and build their own amateur bioindicators (living species used to monitor the health of an environment or ecosystem) to assess food quality and safety. According to Finishing School, food molds have an anecdotal value in determining the quality of their hosts by demonstrating the presence of decay-fighting preservatives, additives, and genetic engineering. The goal of the installation is to engage participants in a critical experience about the quality and safety of the food we consume.

Students from El Camino College will assist the artists with the project. This project is generously funded by The James Irvine Foundation, Epson America, The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Getty Foundation, The California Community Foundation, and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.

M.O.L.D. Operational Tactics, Sign, 2009

About Finishing School

Formed in late 2001, Finishing School is a collective identity that explores art, design, and technology through interventions that conflate praxis, play, and activism. Finishing School attempts to demystify the experience of cultural production and engage viewers through various participatory models. Finishing School and their work has been presented extensively both nationally and internationally.

Finishing School was recently the inaugural participants in MOCA's Engagement Party, an ongoing "artists residency" program at MOCA in Los Angeles. Other current projects include Little Pharma, which investigates alternative medicines and lifestyles as a viable antidote to some of the drug industry's pathologies. Little Pharma consists of a series of workshops, roundtable meetings, lectures, weblog, community medicinal garden, and drug themed bike ride. Past projects include Public Interaction Objects (2006), a series of low-tech participatory objects such as meet/greet, a semi-autonomous drone designed to move through public spaces and greet individuals with multilingual salutations representing the six official languages of the United Nations; The Patriot Library (2003), a working library that provides access to books, periodicals, and other media considered "dangerous" by the United States government; and Saturday School (2001), a temporary, nomadic teaching institution offering multidisciplinary classes that dissect, question, and illuminate various aspects of everyday life.

M.O.L.D. Installation Gear, 2009

The Future Of Food

Deconstructing Franz West performance at LACMA

US Federal / State / Local Government Agencies and Programs that are food-related

AARCC Alternative Agricultural Research and Commercialization Corporation
ACDC Acute Communicable Disease Control (LAC)
ACP Animal Care Program (CA)
Agriculture & Environmental Stewardship (CA)
AES Agricultural Export International Trade (CA)
AGRICOLA Agricultural Online Access
AHFSS Animal Health and Food Safety Services (CA)
AIP Avocado Inspection Program (CA)
AMS Agricultural Marketing Service
APHIS Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
ARS Agricultural Research Service
ASHRAE American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers
ATF Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms
ATSDR Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
BCG Buy California Grown
BLM Bureau of Land Management
BAR Beehive (Apiary) Registry (CA)
BCP Biological Control Program (CA)
BMDD Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases
BSAI Border Station Ag Inspections (CA)
CAHFSLS California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System (CA)
CASS California Agricultural Statistics Service
CBL Brands, Livestock (CA)
CBP California Biologics Program (CA)
CCP California Citrus Program (CA)
CCDHP Center for Chronic Disease and Health Promotion (CA)
CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CDPH California Department of Public Health (CA)
CDMG California Division of Mines and Geology (CA)
CDOW Office of Water (CA)
CEH Center for Environmental Health (CA)
CFMP Farmers' Market Program (Certified) (CA)
CFH Center for Family Health (CA)
CFMP Certified Farmers Market Program (CA)
CDFA California Department of Food and Agriculture
CFS California Food Safety
CHCQ Center for Health Care Quality (CA)
CEQA Agricultural Resources Program (CA)
CIS California Inspection Services (CA)
CICB Inspection and Compliance Branch (CA)
CFSAN Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
CHPDAC California Health Policy and Data Advisory Commission (CA)
COP California Organic Program (CA)
CVM Center for Veterinary Medicine
CEQ Council on Environmental Quality
CID Center for Infectious Diseases (CA)
CSREES Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
CSS California Seed Services
DHS Department of Homeland Security
DOT Department of Transportation
DHCS Department of Health Care Services (CA)
DPH Department of Public Health (LAC)
DQAP Dairy Quality Assurance Program (CA)
DWEM Drinking Water and Environmental Management (CA)
EHS Environmental Health Services
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
EQC Egg Quality Control (CA)
FAS Foreign Agricultural Service
FFEQP Fruit Fly Eradication Quarantine Projects (CA)
FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation
FDA Food and Drug Administration
Food, Drug, and Radiation Safety (CA)
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency
FFLDRS Feed, Fertilizer and Livestock Drugs Regulatory Services (CA)
Food Facility Closure Listing (LAC)
FMC Federal Maritime Commission
FNCS Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services
FNS Food and Nutrition Service
FREP Fertilizer Research and Education Program (CA)
FSA Farm Service Agency
FSP Food Stamp Program (CA)
FSIS Food Safety and Inspection Service
FSIC Food Safety Information Center
FWS Fish and Wildlife Service
GATT General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
GIPSA Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Administration
HHS Department of Health and Human Services
HRSA Health Resources and Services Administration
IHS Indian Health Service
LACFS Food Security (LAC)
LACFSP Food Stamp Program (LAC)
LACSFH Safe Food Handling (LAC)
LHM Livestock Health Management (CA)
MCL Monitoring and Compliance Laboratories (CA)
MDFS Milk and Dairy Food Safety (CA)
MEB Market Enforcement Branch (CA)
MMS Minerals Management Service
MPI Meat and Poultry Inspection (CA)
NASS National Agricultural Statistics Service
NCEA National Center for Environmental Assessment
NCID National Center for Infectious Diseases
NFSE National Food Safety Education
NEP Nutrition Education Program (LAC)
NIH National Institutes of Health
OPP Office of Pesticide Programs (CA)
OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration
PFSE Partnership for Food Safety Education (CA)
PHPPS Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services (CA)
RMA Risk Management Agency (Agriculture)
RFI Retail Food Inspection (LAC)
SBFA State Board of Food and Agriculture (CA)
LACSFH Safe Food Handling (LAC)
WHO World Health Organization
WIC Special supplemental food program for Women, Infants, and Children
USDA U.S. Department of Agriculture
USPS US Public Health Service

M.O.L.D. patches have arrived!

Neverending

M.O.L.D. Progress Report - 1 Month

M.O.L.D. SAMPLES - Ezekiel Bread Organic Sprouted Grain Bread (4C), Sara Lee Delightful Wheat (3D), Ralph's Bakery Sourdough (5B)

Fight BAC (Bacteria) - FDA PSA

The "Fight BAC" campaign, developed by the Partnership for Food Safety, includes a colorful, 30-second, television public service announcement (PSA) featuring a frustrated "BAC" trying unsuccessfully to spread contamination throughout the kitchen. The PSA highlights the four basic safe food handling steps.

The proportion of foodborne illness associated with fresh fruits and vegetables has increased over the last several years. As health and nutrition experts continue to recommend we add more fruits and vegetables to a healthy daily diet, it becomes increasingly important that consumers know how to handle them properly. Make food safety a priority!

Food Safety Music - Microbes Medley

A two-song medley: "Microbes, They Might Kill You" and "We Are the Microbes" is a parody of Queen's "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions," as performed by Carl Winter.

(c) Copyright 2007. Carl Winter, Food Safety Music. UC Davis.

The animations were produced at New Mexico State University as part of USDA CSREES National Integrated Food Safety Initiative Project Number CD-D-FST-7057-CG.

Relax, We Have Everything Under Control

The Franz West Puppets Made The NY Times

via http://tiny.cc/FB2Xe

Franz West Puppet Theatre at LACMA

Faking Franz West at LACMA - Juan Thorp Doing the Polka by Matt Graner

FAKING FRANZ WEST at LACMA, Part 1

The Little Franz West Players at LACMA

Streaming .TV shows by Ustream

TONIGHT! LIVE FROM LACMA - FRANZ WEST PUPPET THEATRE - 10pm to 12am

Live Broadcasting by Ustream

Click title to open new window.

Safe Food by Marion Nestle

Safe Food, Bacteria, Biotechnology, and Bioterrorism

This is a great read. Below is a list of some stated concerns from the book:

1. The increasing concentration of food producers and distributors into larger and larger units
2. The overproduction and overabundance of food in the United States
3. The competitiveness among food companies to encourage people to eat more food or to substitute their products for those of competing companies
4. The relentless pressures exerted by food companies on government agencies to make favorable regulatory decisions
5. The invocation of science by food companies as a means to achieve commercial goals
6. The clash in values among stakeholders in the food system: industry, government, and consumers
7. The ways in which such themes demonstrate that food is political

The Complete Review wrote this:

A basic problem that Nestle identifies is the system of governmental oversight and regulation: "a system breathtaking in its irrationality: 35 separate laws administered by 12 agencies in six cabinet-level departments". Among the most amusing (and disturbing) examples of just how absurd the system is: the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) regulates beef broth and dehydrated chicken soup, while the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) regulates dehydrated beef soup and chicken broth. (Regardless of whether one is for more or less governmental regulation and oversight, everyone would clearly benefit from a single agency handling all food-safety related issues -- but bureaucrats desperate to hold onto their little fiefdoms (and some in industry, who understand that it is easier to manipulate a divided bureaucracy) have managed to prevent any such sensible consolidation of responsibilities.

We made an earlier post detailing a more comprehensive list of federal, state, local, and NGO agencies involved in food safety. We are spotlighting each agency on the list here on this blog. Each agency spotlight includes the scope of their oversight, their specific role in regards to food safety, and contact info.

A Closed Mouth Catches No Flies

come and play at LACMA on saturday night