Of Butchery and Beef-Heart Grappa: SFMOMA's Futurist Banquet Was Freaky Edible Art

By Meredith Brody Mon., Oct. 19 2009 at 9:46 AM

An 800-pound roasted steer was butchered in the museum's atrium. It was a first for SFMOMA, as well as for the excited crowd assembled for Saturday night's Futurist banquet: blood dripping on the floor as an 800-pound roasted steer was butchered on a huge wooden table in the middle of the atrium.

Knives, cleavers, and hacksaws were flying, all called into play by the all-woman brigade as onlookers stood within inches -- risking spilling their own blood, as they had minutes before when an enormous iron spit was pulled from the beast, after it had been bicycled in from the street. Clumps of the rare beef were plopped on a conveyor belt that ran through the room.

A female cadre of butchers hacked up the beast.It was the central spectacle of a rather spectacular event, part of a showcase devoted to Futurism entitled Metal + Machine + Manifesto = Futurism's First 100 Years. The carved beef eventually reached its audience in decorous slices, served on Tartine bread with mole sauce, bean foam, and arugula salad.