Terra Firma by HeiterX
Terra Firma is an Edible Table Landscape that acts as a platform for exploring the relationship between food and the environment by showcasing sustainable practices and encouraging conscious consumption. A sharing plate, a serving vessel, and a topographic surface, Terra Firma encourages mindful eating and fosters a stronger connection with the food we consume. A project by Estonian-based design and experience studio Heiter X, Terra Firma merges the studio’s passion for food, sustainability, and experiential design. Heiter X was established by Helis Heiter, a designer specialising in sustainable (food) design. First shown in Berlin and London, Heiter most recently bought Terra Firma to Clerkenwell Design Week 2023.
The Terra Firma table is made from a combination of natural and repurposed materials, including raw clay, natural carnauba wax, and biomass. Materials are carefully selected and seek to promote environmentally responsible practices. The table’s surface is designed to grow plants: a living, breathing entity, it is an organic system that presents a continuous cycle of growth, consumption, and transformation.
Terra Firma by Heiter X at Clerkenwell Design Week 2023 (Image credit: Johann Koop)
Integrating food production and waste into the table’s surface, Terra Firma provides a unique and immersive dining experience. It enables guests to connect with their food in a deeper and more meaningful way. People are invited to slow down, to touch, smell, and taste the ingredients with their full attention. Highlighting the impact of our food choices on the environment, Terra Firma is a platform to spark conversation and inspire change in the way we think about and interact with food.
Above: Terra Firma by Heiter X at Clerkenwell Design Week 2023 (Image credit: Johann Koop)
The Terra Firma installation is simultaneously complete and incomplete. It is complete insofar as it represents a culmination of past efforts and is a physical manifestation of those efforts. It is incomplete because it exists in a state of perpetual potentiality, one that can be added to, modified, and expanded upon in some way. The imperfections and unfinished aspects of the installation are an integral part of its nature: they reflect the ongoing process of exploration, experimentation, and discovery.
Terra Firma by Heiter X (Image credit: Alana Proosa)
People are an essential part of the process and the installation itself. As they interact with the installation, they add another layer of meaning, interpretation, and experience. Terra Firma is therefore a shared experience, a collective journey, and an example of the interconnectedness of all things.