Pictogram Series, 2001

These pictograms are a suite of fifteen prints conceived by the graphic designer Marta Méndez Blaya in 2001 for elBulli’s General Catalogue, are the visual representation of the classification of products used at the atelier and restaurant. In the preceding years, the pictograms proved very useful when it came time to group the different families of products; they also served as the evolutionary analysis of the recipes. As the starting point for the classification of products, the pictograms are currently being elaborated more thoroughly for the online database Bullipedia.

Ferran Adrià Acosta was born in 1962 in Barcelona, Spain. In April 1984, Adrià joined the team of elBulli in the position of Chef de Partie. By 1987, Adrià began to use ingredients, techniques, and regional influences that reinterpreted “haute cuisine.” Until 1993, the Mediterranean-style defined much of the cuisine of elBulli and exerted an important influence on the Catalan and Spanish cuisine of this period. However, beginning in 1990, Adrià incorporated tapas, spoons, skewers, jellies, and savory ice cream-concepts that reached their full expression by 1994.

From that time on, three pillars characterized the cuisine of elBulli: continual research of new cooking techniques; an emphasis on the role of the senses in the art of creating and eating; and the sixth sense, that is to say, the role of reason and reflection on the act of eating. Adrià’s trademark cuisine was served to the elBulli diner in the form of an extensive tasting menu, which grew to more than forty dishes in the final years of elBulli.

Beginning in the late 1980s, Adrià and Juli established a culinary season that was divided into two parts: six months of service in the restaurant and six months of research and creativity. The latter activity was carried out in different locations until 2000, when elBullitaller was opened in Barcelona. This change marked an evolution in the cuisine of elBulli, leading to the bestowal of three Michelin stars in 1997, and the title of “Best Restaurant in the World” by Restaurant Magazine in 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. The accolade “Chef of the Decade” was presented to Adrià in 2010 by the same magazine.

In 2011, Adrià decided to transform the restaurant into a foundation that opened in 2015. The foundation aims to preserve the legacy of elBulli, including its installations and its archive. The original elBulli building in Cala Montjoi was redesigned by Spanish architect Enric Ruiz Geli, who created a space that is sustainable, ecological, and integrated into the landscape. A permanent exhibition is staged to present a narrative that outlines the restaurant’s history and culinary evolution. In addition, this space provides facilities for activities related to the process of creativity with a team that will publish its research on the Internet.

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