Resident artist Daniel Salomon leads “The Politics of Fermentation” at the Delfina Foundation in London.

On the final day of campaigning for the UK general election, the Delfina Foundation hosted an evening workshop called ‘The Politics of Fermentation.’

Resident artist Daniel Salomon who led the workshop guided participants through the different steps of pickling.

Far left: Delfina resident artist, Daniel Salomon, prepares Kombucha tea for workshop participants.

The workshop was part of the Delfina Foundation’s Politics of Food programme, now in its second season.

In his introduction, Mr Salomon explained the basic principles of fermentation and how he’s using the process to practice art.

The ‘politics’ of fermentation refers to the interaction between bacteria and fungi that compete to stay alive.

Mr Salomon imagines this process, or power play, as “an allegory of human societies” that reflects “our relationship to other species and the environment”.

Image: Delfina Foundation

We were first served an India pale ale that one of the participants had made for the group.

Image: Leila Sansour

Then came shots of Kombucha tea.

Scoby, aka “the heart”, a starter for Kombucha tea. Image: Leila Sansour

Admittedly, I was expecting more of a cultural inquiry into the practices of fermentation in different societies and how those might play out politically.

But that was clearly too literal.

Beneath the surface of our sensory perception, whole ecosystems exist like we do.

They interact, coevolve, exchange DNA, compete, eat, and die.

Meanwhile, we get things like sauerkraut, kimchi, and beer.

Up next for the Delfina Foundation’s Politics of Food programme is ‘Stirring in the Pot of Story,’ curated by Nat Muller.

It opens on the 19th of May and runs until the 13th of June.