Nicolás Urrutia (he/she/they)

My name is Nicolás (Nico), a Colombian-born, New York City–based food experience designer and culinary educator. My work focuses on the design and production of immersive food experiences. In my projects, I consider how people move through, interact with, and emotionally connect to food and space. Often integrating food with art, music and education, these spaces aim to communicate powerful messages through culinary experiences.

My anthropological research explores the intersections of food, culture, and the systems that shape how we eat. It understands that food is a language through which culture takes place, and it intends to bring us closer to the soil and the hands that feed us. Through acknowledgment of ingredients, techniques, tools, and rituals, I aim to understand and communicate how communities express their identity, the land they inhabit, their customs and belief systems, and the historical movements—such as migration and colonization—that have transformed the way they live and eat.

I also spend part of my time in classrooms transformed into pop-up kitchens, where I teach about food, culture, and a bit of sustainability and nutrition. Outside the classroom, I create written and audiovisual material about food and its relationship with people (including my own), and travel in search of culinary and cultural knowledge—whether across the globe, or within the diverse neighborhoods of New York City. I also collaborate with chefs, artists, musicians, and researchers from different backgrounds to craft experiences, artworks, and educational projects centered around food, culture, and community.