we borrow the terms "raw," "cooked," and "rotten" and the concept of the culinary triangle introduced by Lévi-Strauss, to highlight the interplay between nature and culture, the transformative power of cooking, and the importance of food safety and preservation. Symbolizing the untouched, untransformed essence of ingredients, often associated with concepts such as purity, authenticity, and naturalness, the raw can be seen as an opposition to cultural intervention, reflecting a direct link to the environment and the source of sustenance. On the other hand, representing the knowledge, skills, and creativity involved in culinary practices, the cooked highlights the social and symbolic significance of cooking, including the sharing of meals, culinary traditions, and the expression of cultural identity. And finally, the breaking down of cultural and social boundaries regarding acceptable food, the rotten, what has undergone decay, decomposition, or spoilage, signifies the loss of desirable culinary qualities and edibility and becomes associated with themes of danger and contamination.

Through the artworks gathered for TTT2023 Malta artshow under the title RawCookedRotten we invite you to explore the dimensions of food and reflect as well on the complex meanings and relationships between Eating and Beingeaten. Eating involves cultural practices, culinary techniques, and social rituals surrounding food preparation, sharing meals, and the enjoyment of flavors and textures. In contrast, "being eaten" refers to the passive role of an entity being consumed by another. In the context of food, this typically involves animals or plants being hunted, raised, or cultivated for the purpose of being consumed by humans or other organisms, usually for sustenance or survival. Different cultures have specific taboos, rituals, and symbolic interpretations regarding eating and being eaten, such as the spiritual or transformative aspects of consumption, reflecting their values, beliefs, and social structures.