13 Maggio 2026
with Boris Wastiau, discussant: Maddalena Castellani
The Alimentarium, which has just celebrated its 40th anniversary, remains the only museum entirely dedicated to food and nutrition across the history and cultures of the world. Since its inception, this museum has stood out both for the fact that it is not a “disciplinary” museum and for its critical and innovative curatorial approach. It is defined neither by a scientific discipline nor by the nature of its collections, but by a universal anthropological theme: food. Today, its exhibitions and programme explore the complexity of the food system in relation to global health and the environment. The lecture will outline the museum’s current initiatives, curatorial strategy and development plans.
Boris Wastiau holds a Ph.D. in social anthropology and trained at the University of East Anglia, the Universidade de Coimbra, and the Université libre de Bruxelles. He has held leadership positions in major European ethnographic museums, where he developed innovative exhibitions at the intersection of culture, politics, and ecology. His work advances critical museology, combining curatorial practice with a reflexive approach to collections and their social implications. Currently active in a food museum context, he focuses on food systems in the Anthropocene, integrating research, public engagement, and institutional leadership. His recent work also explores the role of artificial intelligence in museums, particularly in relation to knowledge production, interpretation, and ethics.
The conference (in English) is held in Aula Miroglio at 11,30 a.m.
