"Transforming nature into art, Judi Harvest’s Centrotavola Veneziano is
an elaborate glass basket filled with blown glass fruits and vegetables grown in the Venetian Lagoon... They shimmer with light
and translucent color, but no matter how appetizing the fruit appears, no one in their right mind
would try to eat one. This play on illusion and reality is more extreme in its deception than trompe
l’œil painting"
Barbara Rose
Art Historian
The Gritti Palace Epicurean School
Delizie Trasparenti - An Imaginative Aperitivo
During The Venice Glass Week an afternoon aperitivo was held at The Gritti Epicurean School, entitled Delizie Trasparenti and created by Gelée's founder Chef Zoe Messinger inspired by artist Judi Harvest's - Centrotavola Veneziano - the Murano glass sculpture - above - created for The Gritti Palace the ionic hotel overlooking the Canal Grande.
Centrotavola Veneziano
Judi Harvest and Zoe Messinger
photo by Paolo Abate - courtesy Gelee
Marbles in Prosecco - Aperol orbs
Inspired by Judi Harvest’s - Centrotavola Veneziano - Chef Zoe Messinger floated an entire aperitivo in jelly - a surreal play with - light - texture - flavor - to showcase the luminosity of Gelée. Playful dishes included the none-too-classic spritz in the form of Aperol marbles in prosecco, whimsical prosciutto atop jelly
melon, and a salted honey gelée with burrata. Prosecco was provided by Valdo. Gelée is an
experiential brand with an experiential product: a jello that offers a realm for imagination and
nourishment that is healing to the mind, body, and psyche.
Dancing Radicchio - Scarlet Salad
Prosciutto e Melone
Judi Harvest, Beatrice Burati Anderson, The Gritti's Paolo Lorenzoni
Zoe Messinger
Judi Harvest is an interdisciplinary artist with a Masters in Fine Arts, living and working in Venice, Italy since 1987. She divides her time between New York City and Venice where she is also a beekeeper and maintains 6 honeybee colonies on the island of Murano, creating the first and only Murano honey. Her love for Venice and nature inspired Centrotavola Veneziano, an exclusive Murano glass sculpture for The Gritti Palace.
Judi Harvest
Castraure - watercolor - 2023
Gifts of small jars of 2023 honey from - The Murano Honey Garden
Castraure - Murano Glass - 2023
Los Angeles based Zoe Messinger is the creative energy behind the company, Gelée. A chef and multi-disciplinary
creative, after
studying at Cornell University School of Hospitality, she went on to run a food truck in Milan and Amsterdam, and cook in award-winning restaurants. During the pandemic and in the pursuit of healing, Messinger came to recognize the benefits of collagen and
found inspiration in the ancient wisdom of gelatin as medicine. Through modern transformation and
with an artistic lens, she has set out to reimagine the form of jello and give it its healing edge.
Inspired by the classic jello of the 1960’s, Messinger’s Gelée strikes a balance between the
traditional and experiential. Gelée products are made from healing non-GMO whole fruit, naturally
occurring pre and probiotics, and gut-brain healing gelatin.
Paolo Abate, Teddy Williams and Zoe Messinger
The aperitivo was held in The Gritti Epicurean School, the hotel's renowned
cooking school which has hosted the social elite of Venice and international guests for wine tastings,
cooking workshops and celebrations since 1975.
Dancing Radicchio - Scarlet Salad - Beet - Pomegranate Gelée.
Judi Harvest
Fiori di Carciofo - watercolor - 2023
