In a world where art and science collide, few creations are as visually and conceptually intriguing as Candy Cooked with Kilovolts by the Flemish Dauber. This electrifying artwork part experimental installation, part abstract commentary fuses high-voltage electricity with sugary confection, transforming candy into a medium for both culinary alchemy and visual storytelling. Rooted in avant-garde tradition yet deeply modern in execution, the piece challenges our perceptions of energy, food, and the materiality of art itself. With voltage as brushstroke and sugar as canvas, the Flemish Dauber redefines what it means to ‘cook’ with creativity.
The Artist Behind the Experiment
Who Is the Flemish Dauber?
The Flemish Dauber is a pseudonymous contemporary artist from Belgium known for fusing traditional techniques with radical technology. With a background in chemistry and classical painting, the artist explores unconventional materials and methods, often blurring the line between studio and laboratory. The name Dauber nods ironically to historical critiques of painters, reclaiming the term with pride and defiance. This blend of humor, intellect, and rebellion is apparent in much of the artist’s work, especially in the Candy Cooked with Kilovolts series.
Art Meets Voltage
Electrification as an artistic tool is not entirely new artists have used plasma arcs, Tesla coils, and electrochemical reactions in installations for decades. But what sets the Flemish Dauber apart is their decision to focus on candy, an everyday object full of cultural meaning. Candy symbolizes indulgence, childhood, color, and impermanence. When subjected to kilovolts of electricity, it undergoes a literal and symbolic transformation that forms the heart of this artwork.
Conceptual Framework
Why Use Candy?
Candy is more than just a sweet treat. In this artwork, it represents fragility, excess, and transience. The Flemish Dauber chose candy for its bright aesthetic and its historical associations with celebration and consumerism. When exposed to high voltage, the sugar molecules caramelize, crackle, and morph in unpredictable ways. These reactions are not fully controlled by the artist but guided an interplay between intent and chaos, between order and entropy.
Electricity as a Creative Force
The use of kilovolts is central to the piece. Unlike paint or clay, electricity cannot be held or shaped directly. It must be managed carefully, and it behaves unpredictably based on variables like humidity, sugar density, and ambient temperature. The artist’s setup includes insulated chambers, high-frequency Tesla coils, and slow-motion cameras to capture the precise moments when the energy arcs over the candy, altering its form permanently.
Technique and Process
Studio Setup
To execute these pieces, the Flemish Dauber uses a custom-built electromechanical chamber designed for high-voltage applications. The setup includes:
- A vacuum-sealed platform to stabilize air pressure and reduce contamination
- A Tesla coil modified to emit controlled arcs at set voltages
- Confectionery samples arranged on non-conductive surfaces such as mica or borosilicate glass
- Infrared cameras and UV-sensitive film to record the exact moment of transformation
From Sugar to Sculpture
During the cooking phase, high-voltage arcs leap from the coil to the candy. In an instant, surface sugars melt, boil, and re-solidify into abstract, crystalline structures. Some pieces resemble scorched coral, others like alien fossils encased in candy glass. The intensity of the current influences not just the structure but also the hue and opacity of the finished piece. This high-risk, high-reward process requires precision, patience, and an acceptance of chance outcomes.
Interpretation and Meaning
Symbolism of Destruction and Creation
The fusion of destructive energy with childlike materials evokes a powerful duality. Candy, typically soft and inviting, becomes hardened and alien under electric stress. It’s a visual metaphor for transformation how familiar things can be radically altered by external forces. The artwork also speaks to industrialization, where natural substances are processed with energy into something new, often unrecognizable.
Commentary on Consumption
By subjecting candy an object of overconsumption to a violent energetic process, the Flemish Dauber draws attention to the excesses of modern life. The artwork doesn’t simply destroy the candy; it transfigures it, asking viewers to reflect on what is lost and gained in processes of consumption, both literal and metaphorical.
Reception in the Art World
Critics and Collectors
Since its debut in select European galleries, Candy Cooked with Kilovolts has been met with both curiosity and acclaim. Art critics have called it a symphony of chemistry and color, praising its originality and its ability to engage audiences on multiple sensory and intellectual levels. The pieces are highly sought after by collectors of experimental and kinetic art, though few are for sale due to the delicate and often volatile nature of the medium.
Public Engagement
Live demonstrations and installations have become a vital part of the project’s success. Audiences are often invited to witness the transformation process live, heightening their emotional and visceral response. Watching a piece of soft candy erupt into fire and light before cooling into a jagged form is an unforgettable experience that deepens appreciation for both art and science.
Legacy and Influence
Inspiring Cross-Disciplinary Exploration
Candy Cooked with Kilovolts has inspired a new generation of artists and researchers to explore cross-disciplinary work. Science labs have started hosting Art Nights, and art schools have introduced courses on material sciences. The Flemish Dauber’s work stands as a beacon for those who believe that boundaries between disciplines should not be walls, but bridges.
Environmental and Ethical Considerations
Some critics have raised concerns about energy use and food waste. In response, the artist has partnered with sustainable energy labs to ensure all electricity used in the installations comes from renewable sources. Inedible or expired candy is sourced from local shops, minimizing waste and promoting recycling of materials.
Candy Cooked with Kilovolts is not just an artwork it’s an experience, a statement, and a challenge. It invites us to reconsider our assumptions about materials, energy, and the boundaries of creativity. The Flemish Dauber has crafted a piece that sparks conversation as much as it sparks electric arcs, pushing the envelope of what art can be. Whether viewed as a spectacle of transformation, a critique of modern excess, or simply a mesmerizing fusion of candy and current, it leaves a lasting impression on everyone who encounters it.