The Art between stylists and chefs

the repertoires of art and the delimitation of boundaries in gastronomy and fashion

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the symbolic boundaries that are produced from encounters between the field of art and the fields of fashion and gastronomy. We selected as objects of analysis: (i) in the case of fashion, the partnership between the fast-fashion brand Riachuelo and the Museu de Arte de São Paulo in 2017 called the Moda Masp project; (ii) in the case of gastronomy, the artwork “Restauro” at the 32nd Bienal de São Paulo and the exhibition “Alimentário” at the Museu da Cidade, also in São Paulo. These encounters demonstrate the articulation in these fields of a legitimate and valued cultural repertoire produced in the field of art. It is from this repertoire that agents in the field of fashion and gastronomy draw symbolic boundaries within their fields, ensuring advantages in their disputes. These analyzes allow us to conclude that: (i) these meetings do not threaten the autonomy of the field of art, since they depend on its reinforcement so that art remains a source of legitimate cultural repertoire; (ii) art remains an important source of cultural capital and distinction if we look at how its repertoire is used to produce social boundaries in the other fields analyzed here; (iii) these meetings do not produce artification processes, as they depend on maintaining the boundaries between the fields so that there is symbolic effectiveness in transferring the positive charge attributed to the ‘artist’ to stylists and chefs.