Nanotourism is a relatively new concept that aims to redefine conventional tourism, with the goal reimagine it as creative, innovative, local, and educative but also responsible. The AA Visiting School nanotourism (AAVSnt) is part of the AA Visiting School at the School of Architecture in London. AAVSnt organized its first major event in 2014 at KSEVT, the Cultural Centre of European Space Technologies located in Slovenia. The project explored 3D sleeping in a hotel-like setting, while the following year the same space became a playground that allowed participants to understand gravity through body movements.
In 2016, Gastronomy At KSEVT transformed the venue into a creative fine-dining and wine tasting experience. Collaborating with the center’s management and the local Restaurant Gastuž, AAVSnt brought a surreal space to life. Adapted to the building’s architecture, the installations encouraged participants to explore sensory perception through dining rituals in different gravitational conditions. For example, the wine tasting experience required the participant to perform various body movements to allow wine to flow through a system of tubes, while 2D plates on a wall filled with ‘food sculptures’ encouraged visitors to eat gourmet food without the use of either cutlery or hands. A team of chefs re-interpreted local cuisine to create the dishes for the site-specific installations.
The 2017 program takes place in Ault, France, between 28 April and 13 May. The workshop tackles the relationship between the land and the sea. It will focus both on the problems created by land erosion and on its effects on the community.
