collaborations
supper one
1. supper one
supper one was the official launch of ROTTEN MOTHER. hosted at the carriage house in the west village, the ticketed dinner featured nine edible installations and passed courses.






installation one
pandan and coconut sea moss jello
agar agar | pandan | coconut | lime | sea moss | salt

borscht deviled eggs
pickled beets | dill | fresh horseradish

butter trio with la cabra sourdough
shiso +  koji miso | kimchi | charred ramps + crickets







sculpture twofresh greens + chicory salad
sunchoke tahini pâté | parmesan tuille | chive blossoms

served on a 2x4 platter for guests to forage the dish 








passed one
hamachi crudo
tangerine salt cured hamachi | house brewed passion fruit kombucha and coconut water broth | finished with fresh passion fruit + micro cilantro






















about rotten mother
rottenmothernyc@gmail.com instagram    ROTTEN MOTHER is a culinary art collective exploring the connection between food and art through edible installations. Our project serves as a liminal space for chefs and artists to cocreate through the delicate tension between transformation and decay—where fermentation flirts with rot.




scope
ROTTEN MOTHER aims to nurture the intersection of food and art. our collective explores this through:

  • tablescapes
  • edible installations
  • curated experiential dinners
  • whatever we dream up together


about usROTTEN MOTHER was founded by barbara kelley and grace heizer. with respective backgrounds in fine dining and the art world, we met through the industry and quickly found common ground in wanting something different from the usual dining experience. one that was experiential and playful, that had the feeling of an exhibition with the comfort of a meal with loved ones. and yes, we are friends outside of ROTTEN MOTHER too.





more rotten mother:
zine one
for supper one, we designed an accompanying zine as the evening’s menu.

ROTTEN MOTHER sees food as art and chefs as artists. that belief drives us to team up with other creatives, building experiences that blend visual art with what ends up on the plate.






Last Updated 24.10.3

kalei nyc + azyr specs install


1. pop-up with kalei nyc + azyr specsheld at the gallery and design space, kalei nyc,  we designed two edible installations for their collaboration with the eyewear brand, azyr specs.




installation onebrown butter cornbread madeleines
queso fresco | crema buttercream | charred
corn | corn husk glasses





installation twofig sculpture
white balsamic + pepper sugar | comté cheese | thyme | sugar shard plates

 




installation threecandy lenses
blueberry + lavender | lemon + lemongrass
colors were based on azyr specs lens samples



brooklyn center for theatre research + burning man install


2.  installation for the
    brooklyn center for theatre research  +
    the burning man project

we were commisioned to create a tablescape in collaboration with the burning man project and the brooklyn center for theatre research for a burning man artist panel—celebrating the launch of burning man’s ‘rising sparks’ program. 


savory tomato cake
japanese milk bread | heirloom tomato | kewpie and cream cheese ‘frosting‘






rosewater + strawberry poached rhubarb

croquembouche with spun sugar
miso caramel | orange + gochujang pastry cream

lavender meringues






cherry scones |
       clotted cream |
               matcha chantilly cream







© ROTTEN MOTHER 2025