Elena Petrossian moved to Mexico Metropolis for a way of journey.
“I wanted to go develop my horizons and my setting,” says the California native, who was raised in Glendale.
It was in 2019, earlier than the Mexican capital noticed waves of expats amid the pandemic. Only a month in, she met Verónica González by a mutual buddy.
“We made dinner collectively,” Petrossian goes on. They clicked instantly and started to think about methods to collaborate. “We have been speaking about working in meals, however not realizing precisely what it’s, and form of having these concepts and inspirations.”
An preliminary inspiration was Sunday Suppers, Karen Mordechai’s Brooklyn-based meals collective that invitations followers to affix its international dinner collection. Being new to town, Petrossian was in search of group, she says. In the meantime González, who grew up Tijuana, was within the midst of doing a enterprise masters and craving creativity. Collectively they hosted a cocktail party within the spirit of Sunday Suppers — promoting tickets, with proceeds going towards meals and manufacturing. Little did they know that that marked the beginning of Ananas Ananas, their food-art studio that now attracts shoppers throughout artwork and vogue.
Elena Petrossian and Verónica González
Sela Shiloni/WWD
“We labored rather well collectively,” Petrossian says of the dinner, which was held in her residence. They tapped a woodworker, a buddy of González’s, to construct the desk with seating for 30. “It was slightly get together.”
“It was simply such a terrific success,” provides González. “Individuals have been simply so amazed at it.”
The tablescape showcased meals as design — creating textures, placing colours and surprising shapes, with baguettes hanging from the ceiling — whereas inviting friends to make use of their palms.
A month earlier in December 2019, as a take a look at of types, that they had invited buddies to find their first work collectively, additionally created in Petrossian’s residence: “Frutas y Verduras.” Vegetables and fruit in varied cuts, with charcuterie, hung like artwork on greater than 40 fishing wires on her patio. Guests interacted with the meals utilizing their palms and mouths.
“Frutas y Verduras” by Ananas Ananas.
Courtesy of Ananas Ananas
“It wasn’t straightforward, however it was positively easy,” Petrossian says of the primary set up. “It was plenty of laborious work. Like, we have been sweating, dying, my again was breaking, however we have been having such a very good time.”
They have been embraced by Mexico Metropolis, she says: “No person stated ‘no.’ That’s how we constructed our portfolio.”
The primary to say “sure” have been Carlos H. Matos and Lucas Cantú of artwork and structure studio Tezontle. It was for a venture throughout Zona Maco, the Mexico Metropolis artwork truthful.
“We had despatched them an e mail,” Petrossian explains. “At the moment we had accomplished one meals set up at my home. It’s the one photographs we had. We have been like, ‘How do you’re feeling in the event you pay for groceries and we’ll execute this factor?’”
Tezontle takes its identify from a sort of volcanic rock generally utilized in building in elements of Mexico. In that spirit, Petrossian and González went out on the lookout for a rock of their very own, created a silicone mould of it and turned it into chocolate. “We discovered it on the facet of the road,” Petrossian laughs. It was among the many show, with a hammer out there to interrupt it open.
That was in February 2020, proper earlier than the pandemic kicked off. Because the world took a pause, so did their work. However when life resumed they have been again, and in July of that 12 months they unveiled an exhibition on water and meals waste titled “Extraños,” adopted by a collection of collaborative dinners and exhibits in galleries. Whereas Petrossian manages “entrance of home,” González handles logistics and manufacturing.
“Fortunate for us, and I really feel so grateful, we picked up the place we left off and began doing consumer work and consumer collaborations,” Petrossian continues.
Purchasers have included Simkhai, The Elder Statesman, Cartier, The Frankie Store and wonder model Saie. In L.A., they’ve proven on the Hammer Museum, in partnership with Montalba Architects, displayed at Platform for furnishings model Atrio and hosted a picnic on the Eames Home in collaboration with Herman Miller and Hay.
In early 2022, they launched a e book of their work and exhibited at Dries Van Noten’s gallery house in L.A as a part of its launch. A 12 months later, in the summertime of 2023, they launched tableware, designing a group of seven objects which are true to their DNA. Handmade in Baja California, amongst them is a $950 serving dish of skewers on chrome steel balls. It’s their collective creativeness coming to life — and what attracted Saie, their first model companion of 2024.
“We found Ananas Ananas by the beautiful meals installations that they turned recognized for, however what actually caught our eye was once they launched a group of metalware for experiential eating,” says Saie’s director of inventive Erin Starkweather. “We thought this type of design could be the right factor to convey that stylish feast feeling to our masterclass expertise.”
“We love collaborating with feminine artists throughout all mediums,” Saie founder Laney Crowell says in a press release to WWD. “Working with Ananas Ananas on their first magnificence partnership infuses our bespoke Saie masterclasses with a singular design and platform to showcase our merchandise in a never-seen-before tray that’s each shareable and covetable, identical to Saie.”
Make-up displayed as meals for Ananas Ananas’ first consumer venture of 2024, creating magnificence trays for Saie masterclasses.
For Ananas Ananas, meals is artwork. But it surely’s additionally deeper — it’s a common language.
“Culturally, I’m Armenian and Veronica is Mexican, and we each grew up in, primarily, the kitchen,” Petrossian says, noting they don’t have skilled coaching. “Mothers, aunts, grandmas, everyone seems to be all the time within the kitchen.”
“The kitchen is the place the place you truly share issues which are necessary,” provides González. It’s shared meals, shared conversations.
“The storytelling aspect is necessary to us. Once you convey ahead surprising issues, whether or not it’s hanging issues from the ceiling or constructing an set up, it makes individuals take note of what they’re doing and the way they’re consuming and the way they’re sharing. It forces you to be current and within the second,” Petrossian says.
A meals set up for Panthère de Cartier in Mexico Metropolis.
The duo — each based mostly in California — has been in Milan for Salone del Cell, tapped to create a café expertise by native architectural agency DWA, after heading to Coachella Valley for activations across the music pageant.
“These installations are supposed to be momentary,” Petrossian provides of their work. “They’re meant to be loved within the current second after which that’s it. Whether or not you are taking photographs of it otherwise you don’t, that’s the great thing about it.”