This fascinating dish provides a multi-layered representation of a simple, but striking statistic: science funding in Spain was cut by a staggering 34% over the last few years.
Antonija Kuzmanic decided to represent this huge drop in funding with two almond cakes (Tortas de Santiago) — based on the same recipe, but prepared differently. The first one was made applying "scientific" techniques (foaming the dough with a siphon and microwaving it for 45 seconds), representing the situation before the cuts, while the second cake represents today.
It was baked in the traditional way without advanced techniques, and turned out considerably drier and denser. In addition, the amount of sugar used in the cakes is proportional to the different amounts of funding in science, resulting in a much less enjoyable experience for the “non-science” cake.
