Korean food has a reputation for popping-up in the most unique places...

On the heels of two reports on the popularity of Korean food in America, we learned about an interesting project in Berlin, Germany from Mandie O'Connell: Dr. Rhee's Food Lab.

Equal part art installation and community curation, the one week bartering pop-up store opened during the season in which Baechu Cabbage Kimtschi is traditionally made in Korea aiming to secured personal cultural artifacts of equivalent value from various cultures in the city in exchange for "the national treasure of Korea".

The exchange of 60+ portions between customers and the Dr. Rhee's Food Lab brand was then documented online in real-time so followers could understand the specific reasons which a specific object was displayed. View the complete catalog here.

A collaborative project from visual artist Kate Hers and scientist Hanjo Rhee, we love how the exhibition engaged community prior to opening via Kickstarter funding and again throughout the event — linking food to cultural identity.