Nutritional Index

collaboration between Emmaline Zanelli & Kurt Bosecke
1.5 hour live performance, two channel video work, mixed media image works, 2021 - 2022


Emmaline Zanelli, 'Sweet Dreams (diorama of the Art Gallery of South Australia), 2022, digital photograph, dimensions variable

Documentation of 'Nutritional Index' performance. Emmaline and Kurt train 8 security guards physically assessing Auguste Rodin's 'The Walking Man' against current male body ideals. Video still by Eloise Holoubek, 2022.

Emmaline Zanelli, 'Sugar Cubes, After Edward Steichen (Cillian Murphy running from a flaming infected zombie in 28 Days Later, 2002)',digital photograph, dimensions variable Kurt Bosecke, 'Zombie Michael Jackson holding two Lollypops for a Thriller night and its delicious and sweet while grooving around doing thriller night dance from the song!', 2022, coloured texta on paper
Left: Emmaline Emmaline Zanelli, 'An advertisement of a seafood bounty (after Luca Giordano and Giuseppe Recco), digital photograph of magazine collage, 2022. Right: Luca Giordano and Giuseppe Recco, 'The riches of the sea with Neptune, tritons and two nereids', oil on canvas, 1684



Kurt Bosecke, research notes on Rodin and Rogan, 2022. texta and digital collage Kurt Bosecke, research notes on zombies, 2021, texta on paper


Kurt Bosecke, collection research cards, 2021



Emmaline Zanelli and Kurt Bosecke, digital copy of tour map given to each audience member to accompany 'Nutritional Index' performances.









Speaking to Charles Hill's "The Artist and His Family", a painting at the centre of the Gluten Wall, which features a large white bread loaf. Kurt taking a vote - "who has been taught to fear white bread". From the show of hands there are many people who have been taught this fear. Audience members are given a security briefing and explanation of our role at the A.B.C.D.E.F.G.H. Security staff protecting Auguste Rodin's "The Walking Man" Security staff demonstrating a six-step plan to achieving a Rodin torso Audience member using a map Audience members searching for the food on Japanese scroll painting "Traders at Nagasaki" Making a Nutribullet smoothie security staff member Daria timing the blending of the Nutribullet for 60 seconds
Nutritional Index was part of a broader project curated by Belinda Howden, titled Reaching Out wherein Tutti Arts partnered with three South Australian cultural institutions to facilitate three pairs of artists to respond to their collections. Kurt and I were one of these pairs, and we were invited to create a new work in response to The Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) and their permanent collection.

Over 12 months, Kurt and I had behind-the-scenes access to understand the inner workings of the gallery, meeting and interviewing many different staff members including curators, librarians, volunteers, installers, builders and security staff. This, paired with Kurt’s interest and rich knowledge of food and nutrition, guided us to first develop a performance work called Nutritional Index, a series of mixed media images, a map, and a two channel video work.

The performance work sees Kurt and I play hybrid characters – nutritionists and art historians from the Australian Bureau of Cultural Dietetics Eating For Good Health (A.B.C.D.E.F.G.H.).


Throughout the tour Kurt and I speak to several artworks on display within AGSA’s galleries, using nutrition as a lens through which to understand the works in a different light. Audience members are issued with level 3 security clearance lanyards upon arrival, and we are accompanied by 4 security staff (played by members of The Bait Fridge), and after 1 hour of moving through the galleries, we finish the tour with a Nutribullet smoothie using ingredients referencing the artworks throughout the tour.

Following the tours, Kurt and I are working with a third collaborator, Eloise Holoubek, to make a video work relfecting on our time working in the collection, called The Impressive Vibrant Fantasy Buffet: Five Essential Rules to Achieve a Rodin Torso in Under Two Months (see below for a preview). The two channel video work was featured at the Art Gallery of South Australia during SALA Festival in August 2022. The video work was awarded both the Digital

Nutritional Index was supported by Tutti Arts, the Art Gallery of South Australia, The Department of Premier and Cabinet, and the Adelaide Fringe Festival. I would like to express my deepest thanks to project curator Belinda Howden, for her amazing efforts and support in the development and delivery of this work.