Literature, Film & Music

The Vegetable Orchestra

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 08:36:58 GMT

Carrot and parsnip flutes, watermelon bongos, a pumpkin string bass and cabbages—of the heavy metal variety—filled the tent when Vienna's Vegetable Orchestra proved that fresh produce makes beautiful music.

Sometimes you should play with your food.

Matty Matheson & Courtney Storer in conversation with Lisa Donovan

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 13:25:10 GMT

Matty Matheson and Courtney Storer have been close friends for years, but their connection deepened at MAD six years ago.

Today, the supremely dynamic duo works together on The Bear. Courtney serves as culinary producer on the iconic series. Matty works as consultant, producer, actor, and the chef who brings lionhearted authenticity to every kitchen scene. At MAD7 with Lisa Donovan, they unpack how the show uses intense, theatrical reality to examine human connection.

Their conversation is expansive. They dig into working with actual family while creating chosen family. The vulnerability required in both acting and cooking. How food becomes a character itself—carrying both nostalgia and trauma.

Conducting the Kitchen

Fri, 23 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Ture Larsen has composed many works and arrangements for theatre, film, jazz ensembles and symphony orchestras. Today, his focus is teaching surgeons to leverage their non-verbal communication skills in the operating room.

Randi Beier-Holgersen, Senior Surgeon of Nordsjælland Hospital,, Denmark, is responsible for the training and education of junior doctors and medical students.

At the sixth MAD Symposium, Ture Larsen and Randi Beier-Holgersen introduce their research on utilizing the non-verbal communication skills of conductors as an educative tool for leaders in other fields. With the help of the crowd, and "guest conductors," David Zilber and Mette Søberg of noma, they demonstrate the power of non-verbal communication, providing examples and uses for it within the restaurant environment.

Links Between the Culinary and Music Industries

Fri, 23 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Nina Persson is the lead singer of the Swedish band The Cardigans. She kicks off day two of the sixth MAD Symposium in performance with her husband Nathan, before a conversation with Tatiana Levha, MAD Alumni and owner of Le Servan and Double Dragon restaurants in Paris.

The two discuss the similarities between music and cooking, comparing the power of both musicians and chefs as spokespersons and figures of change.

Bridging The Gap Between Men and Women

Fri, 23 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Jytte Vikkelsøe is a Copenhagen based psychologist and author whose research focuses on conflict resolution and the complex dynamics of romantic love. Her most recent book is the bestselling Derfor Forelsker Du Dig Aldrig I Den Forkerte (‘Why You Never Fall in Love with the Wrong Person’).

At the sixth MAD Symposium, Jytte Vikkelsøe explains that for too long, biology, history, and culture have prolonged and entrapped our views on men and women. We need to better understand and address the differences in the treatment of both the sexes to find equality between them.

Rewriting History

Thu, 20 Sep 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Jeannette Ehlers is a Danish-Trinidadian multi disciplinary visual artist who aims to disrupt the dominating narratives and replace them with ones that acknowledge the aspects of history that have thus far been ignored. Ehlers engages themes of visibility, identity, and collective memory, such as her work I am Queen Mary, which represents one of four queens who led the 1878 labor revolt in Saint Croix, a former Danish colony.

Presenting her works at the sixth MAD Symposium, Ehlers discusses how it is possible to reframe history so that it is inclusive to all and provides examples how to do so through her works. Ehlers engages us, urging us to see how art, and other mediums like food, can provoke, lead and guide, people to better self-understanding.

What On Earth Just Happened

Tue, 11 Sep 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Lynda Obst is one of Hollywood’s most prolific producers. Obst has been credited with inventing the contemporary Romcom. Her films have garnered two Oscar wins and eleven nominations. She has written Hello He Lied: Other Truths from Hollywood and Sleepless in Hollywood.

At the Sixth MAD Symposium, Obst shared her eye-opening account of life in the center of the storm, providing us with an insight into a culture of abuse and sexualized narcissism. In closing, Obst urges us to acknowledge our shortcomings and to build stronger and safer work environments for the future.

From Wild to Tame and Back Again

Tue, 07 Apr 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Tor Nørretranders is a Danish author of non-fiction and popular science His books and lectures have primarily been focused on science and its role in society, often with his own advice about how society should integrate new findings in science.

Tor has published twenty books and been translated into ten languages. His best-known books are on consciousness (the User Illusion, 1999) and creativity (the Generous Man, 2005), but he has dealt with many other issues such as network technology, the environment, quantum mechanics, joy and children’s questions about the world.

Tor holds a M.Sc. in environmental planning from Roskilde University and is honorary professor in the Department of Management, Politics and Philosophy at Copenhagen Business School.

Conviviality for One

Mon, 23 Feb 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Julian Baggini is a UK-based writer and philosopher. He is the Founding Editor of The Philosophers’ Magazine and has contributed to several publications, including the Guardian. His most recent book is The Virtues of the Table: How to Eat and Think.

The Perennial Plate

Fri, 13 Feb 2015 00:00:00 GMT

This couple makes up ‘Perennial Plate’ – a 2013 James Beard Award-winning online, weekly documentary video series devoted to socially responsible and adventurous eating around the world. Daniel has spent time at some of the world’s best restaurants (St John, Mugaritz, Fat Duck included), Daniel went on to study at NYU before beginning a career in film. Mirra comes from a background in marketing and graphic design – she is also a vegetarian.

Xenos

Fri, 13 Feb 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Born and raised in Denmark, Knud studied comparative literature at university. After years spent as a self-professed failed writer – he entered the advertising industry where he became very successful. However, he soon developed problems with drugs and alcohol that led to the eventual loss of his job and home. Having hit rock bottom, he wrote a famous novel and is now often featured on discussion panels and is a frequent radio commentator. As the first and so far only non-German writer, he was invited to join the prestigious club of authors Lübeck 05 by his idol Günter Grass.

True Stories, Book Two - Cosmopolis Redux (a Trailer Trash Tracys Remix)

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Andrea Petrini is a journalist, food writer, and creative advisor. He was born in the region of Marche in Italy and has a French residence. Andrea has been cooperating with Gambero Rosso, Gault Millau and Libération. He writes for Cook_Inc, Biscuit, 'Express and Fooding. He is also the French chairman of World’s 50 best and creative director of Cook it Raw. He spends a large part of the year on the road, traveling throughout the world to discover contemporary cuisine.