Ferran Adrià - do not seat him near a 'closetalker'

How was 2013 for Ferran Adrià?

Not content with running a Harvard course, Ferran began decoding gastronomy's genetic code

As the year draws to a close, we're continuing our catch-up with a few of our authors and artists, including David Carrier, Roger Ballen and Tomi Ungerer, to ask them how 2013 was for them: what were the things that inspired them, when were they at their most creative and what do they have planned for 2014. We've been bringing you their answers - one a day - up until the new year. Go here to read our interview with Joel Meyerowitz, here for Martin Parr, here for Edmund de Waal.

 

Ferran Adrià at Somerset House
Ferran Adrià at Somerset House

Today its the turn of Ferran Adrià. ElBulli may have served its last lucky patron in 2011, yet Adrià has remained remarkably active since closing his three-Michelin-star restaurant. This year alone he took up a position as culinary adviser at Harvard University, lecturing on the subjects of science and cooking, helped oversee this summer's elBulli exhibition at Somerset House, and, of course, put the finishing touches to elBulli 2005-2011, the seven-volume catalogue raisonné of elBulli, due to be published in February 2014.

Yet his ambitions don't end there. Read on to discover how with his massive Bullipedia project, he hopes to decode the gastronomic genome in 2014. A stimulating ambition indeed, for both mind and body.

An exhibit from the elBulli exhibition, Somerset House
An exhibit from the elBulli exhibition, Somerset House

What was the thing that inspired you most this year?

Sin duda alguna mi visita al MIT y Media Lab. Es una manera maravillosa de entender el mundo de la innovación.

Without a doubt my visit to MIT and the Media Lab. It is a wonderful way to understand the world of innovation.

What was your personal working highlight this year?

El Decoding of the Genome of the Gastronomic Process, en el que ordenamos y creamos una taxonomia de la gastronomía.

The Decoding of the Genome of the Gastronomic Process, which put in order and create a taxonomy of gastronomy.

What can we expect from you in 2014?

El tour del libro elBulli 2005-2011 y la apertura del BullipediaLab en Mayo de 2014. El espacio donde daremos un paso adelante en el proyecto de el Decoding.

The two major projects are the elBulli 2005-2011 book tour and the opening of BullipediaLab in May 2014. This is the place where we will make a step forward in the Decoding project.

 

Ferran Adrià gets a taste for 2014
Ferran Adrià gets a taste for 2014

Keen to find out more? Then visit our dedicated Ferran Adrià page here.