The MAD Symposium was an annual symposium held in Copenhagen, Denmark featuring presentations from chefs, farmers, academics, thinkers, and artists. The event was hosted by the MAD Food Organization, founded in 2011 by Danish chef René Redzepi, the founder of the Copenhagen-based restaurant, Noma. The two-day symposium took place inside a circus tent along the waterfront of Refshaleøen. The audience for MAD consisted predominantly of chefs, aspiring cooks, farmers, journalists, and other food service professionals.

Philosophy MAD's purpose was to educate and raise awareness among modern chefs and food professionals, to better prepare them for the challenges and responsibilities that went beyond merely providing sustenance for a single meal. The symposium aimed to feature speakers from diverse disciplines, offering different perspectives on food and culture while providing those in the kitchens with new knowledge and greater imagination.

Organization structure MAD was a not-for-profit grassroots operation composed of a full-time team and collaborators spread throughout Europe, Australia, and the United States.

Main events MAD4 The fourth MAD Symposium took place on 24th and 25th of August, 2014 and was co-curated by D.O.M. chef and founder Alex Atala. Albert Adria — Chef, Spain Alex Atala — Chef, Brazil Anya von Bremzen — Journalist, Russia Chris Cosentino— Chef, USA Chris Ying — Journalist, USA Christine Muhlke — Author, USA Darina Allen — Chef, Ireland Eric Schlosser— Journalist, USA Eyvind Hellstrøm — Chef, Norway Fulvio Pierangeli — Chef, Italy Hervé This — Chemist, France Isabel Soares— Activist, Portugal Jeremiah Tower — Chef, USA Julian Baggini — Philosopher, UK Madhur Jaffrey — Author, UK Olivier Roellinger — Chef, France Paola Antonelli — Curator, USA Paul Freedman — Historian, USA Pierre Koffmann — Chef, UK/France Ron Finley — Urban gardener, USA Silvano Giraldin— Restaurant manager, UK Tatiana Levha — Chef, France Tatsuru Rai— Chef, Japan

MAD3 The third MAD took place on 25th and 26th August 2013, and was curated by Momofuku chef and founder David Chang and the editors of Lucky Peach magazine. The theme of the symposium was "guts."

MAD3 Speakers:

Alex Atala — Chef, Brazil Vandana Shiva — Environmental Activist, India Dario Cecchini — Butcher, Italy Christian Puglisi — Chef, Denmark Margot Henderson — Chef, United Kingdom Sandor Katz — Fermentation Revivalist, USA Jon Reiner — Author, USA Pascal Barbot — Chef, France Diana Kennedy — Author, Mexico/UK Roy Choi — Chef, USA Cynthia Sandberg & David Kinch — Farmer & Chef, USA Heribert Watzke — Food Scientist, Switzerland Martha Payne — Schoolgirl Activist, Scotland Alain Ducasse — Chef, France David Choe — Artist, USA Josh Whiteland — Guide, Australia Barbara Lynch — Chef, USA Knud Romer — Author, Denmark Daniel Klein & Mirra Fine — Activist Filmmakers, United States Ahmed Jama — Chef, Somalia Jonathan Gold — Writer, USA Michael Twitty — Food Historian, USA Jason Box — Glaciologist, USA/Denmark Roland Rittman — Forager, Sweden

MAD2

The second MAD took place on the 1st and 2nd of July, 2012. The theme of the symposium was "appetite."

MAD2 Speakers:

Tor Nørretranders — Writer, Denmark Roderick Sloan — Sea Urchin Diver and Ocean Explorer, Norway David Chang — Chef, USA Enrique Olvera — Chef, Mexico Massimo Bottura — Chef, Italy Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall — Activist Chef, UK Shinichiro Takagi — Chef, Japan Andrea Pieroni — Ethnobiologist, Italy Patrick Johansson — Butter Viking, Sweden Dan Barber — Chef, USA Chido Govera — Mushroom Farmer, Zimbabwe Paul Rozin — Psychologist, USA Anthony Myint & Danny Bowien — Mission Chinese Food, USA Massimo Montanari — Historian, Italy Rasmus Kofoed — Chef, Denmark Nordic Food Lab — Denmark Andrea Petrini — Writer, Italy Wylie Dufresne — Chef, USA Leif Sørensen — Chef, Faroe Islands Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gulliver — Chef and Restaurateur, UK Ferran Adrià — Chef, Spain

MAD1

The inaugural MAD took place on 27th and 28th of August, 2011. The theme of the symposium was "vegetation."

MAD1 Speakers:

Alex Atala — Chef, Brazil Tør Norretranders — Writer, Denmark Miles Irving — Forager, UK Daniel Patterson — Chef, USA Yoshihiro Narisawa — Chef, Japan Hans Herren — Policymaker, Switzerland Kamal Mouzawak — Community leader, Lebanon Iñaki Aizpitarte — Chef, France Thomas Hartung — Businessman, Denmark Magnus Nilsson — Chef, Sweden Jacqueline McGlade — Head of the EEA, UK Ben Shewry — Chef, New Zealand Stefano Mancuso — Biologist, Italy François Couplan — Forager, France Massimo Bottura — Chef, Italy Søren Wiuff — Farmer, Denmark Molly Jahn — Policymaker, USA Michel Bras — Chef, France Harold McGee — Writer, USA David Chang — Chef, USA Andoni Luis Aduriz — Chef, Spain Gastón Acurio — Chef, Peru

Other events MAD Mondays

To prompt discussion on a local level and include those outside of the restaurant trade in the MAD community, the organization staged MAD Mondays, a series of panel discussions on food culture.

In March 2014, MAD hosted a New York City edition, its first outside of Copenhagen. The talk was titled "What We Talk About When We Talk About Being a Chef," and took place at the Drawing Center, featuring Peter Meehan as moderator and Mario Batali, Gabrielle Hamilton, Bill Buford, Lee Hanson, and Riad Nasr as panelists.

MADFeed The MADFeed was an online publication that extended the MAD conversation throughout the year. The platform hosted news and video from MAD events, as well as articles from the MAD team. Notable guests and features in these publishings included chefs Dan Barber and Margot Henderson, musician James Murphy, and artist Olafur Eliasson.

References

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