THE CHALLENGE
Freskos seeks to change the common perception about food culture and the environmental impact of our choices. Also, to bring ancestral weaving techniques and craftsmanship on the forefront supporting and promoting heritage through creative partnerships. Challenging the use of natural fibers and their properties, creating innovative materials for contemporary human needs and resources management.
THE SOLUTION
Freskos is an innovative, crafted system for the preservation of fruits and vegetables. The partnership aims to bring close ancient yet natural ways of preserving with contemporary needs of food and life culture. A research and reinvention of the properties of the selected natural/ locally sourced materials and the weaving patterns wish to lead to strong and durable structures that will empower the final design. A system where local, talented artisans are going to be collaborating in order to protect their expertise and spread their knowledge. This know-how can then be redefined with modern techniques. Upon the different needs of the fruits & vegetables, and by studying the best environment for each family, unlike approaches are going to be embraced based on the principles of modularity, weaving innovation and material transformation through mixes with natural binders or other fibers.
THE IDEA
Nearly half of all fruit & vegetables produced globally are wasted each year. If we want to encourage people to care about nature, we need to bring it back to the cities and inside our homes and become part of the growing and preservation of our food.
THE BIRTH OF THE PROJECT
Freskos was created with the desire to promote a healthier lifestyle and reduce food waste, with a holistic yet playful approach. We looked into ancestral techniques of preservation and combined this knowledge with design skills and craft expertise. This helped us to better understand the needs and requirements of each fruit & vegetable and shape a new alternative for a conscious way of preservation and storage at home. Fruits and vegetables are alive and have different preservation requirements since they respond differently to factors such as humidity, light, ventilation, temperature, ethylene production, and pressure.
THE CREATIVE PROCESS
Freskos is an integrated structure that uses no screws rather than wood joinery techniques. It merges tradition with innovation, heritage with the future. Natural fibers such as Palm, Cork, Clay, Bunho, Jute and Hemp were carefully selected and used in accordance with their characteristics such as temperature isolation and humidity control in order to create the best environment for our produce. Provide the best conditions including maintaining the humidity, providing air circulation, avoiding pressure, keeping the right moisture and temperature, and storing them with the appropriate light and dryness, are some of the factors that help preserve the taste and extend their shelf life. By growing, re-growing and conserving our herbs and leafy vegetables we reconnect with what we eat in a creative way. Each shelf hosts a different group of fruits & vegetables regarding their need. Herbs & leafy vegetables, roots, sensitive vegetables, citrus family, climacteric fruits, onions with garlic and starchy vegetables.
We rethink craft for our contemporary needs. Supporting local craftwork and learning about past knowledge drove us to better understand how we can reconnect with natural processes in our days, while working from the beginning with local farmers that provided us with organic produce, helped us to explore more about preservation techniques.
THE COLLABORATION
Despina and Marta met in a creative residency in France where we helping at the community’s vegetable garden and we quickly connected over our curiosity and passion for nature.
THE FUTURE
In the future, we envision to spread the culture of Freskos and create a community of people who embrace our values and work. We see Freskos as the starting point for solutions that embrace and forward sustainable alternatives to our food culture and engage people in taking further action.
THE MESSAGE
Collaboration gives the freedom to approach a topic from different angles, challenge societal questions but most importantly, to bring continuous improvement. As for Freskos, the way we treat our food implies the way we treat our bodies and minds and this is part of an overall culture that we want to spread.
