Pei-Ying Lin: Virophilia

A cookbook from the future embracing the reality of delicious viruses

This cookbook by Taiwanese artist Pei-Ying Lin (born 1986) is an illustrated guide that showcases how ever-changing viruses affect our sense of taste. The core concept of Virophilia involves experiencing the viruses in food. Her performances combine different selections of recipes that use the viruses in different ways. The audience eats while listening to stories about the viruses. Since 2055, viruses have become an important part of our everyday food culture. Those born before 2015 may still remember the fear of the natural order that the coronavirus brought us, but since 2055 we have known that such fear is also irresistibly tasty. Viruses that were once exclusive to the research and medical realms are now constitutive of our natural habitat. Pei-Ying Lin, currently based in the Netherlands, has recently been focusing on boundaries (invisible/visible, living/nonliving) and building tools and methods that facilitate their exploration.