The Food Sound - The hidden sound of food Exhibition

An exhibition to eat with your ears

Food Sound is not the classic exhibition with many objects to look at, accompanied by information panels. It is an immersive journey that involves hearing, and more.

Before you set off, you need to put on a pair of spatial headphones, designed specifically to give you a three-dimensional sound experience. The headphones make sounds realistic as you move from one room to another. From the noise of a fast food restaurant to the quiet of a chic restaurant. Open your ears wide, because you will test your listening with interactive quizzes, to either play alone or to challenge others. A fun experience, also suitable for families with children aged eight and up

And to be enjoyed with your eyes

The ear is the protagonist but, as with a starred dish, the eye also wants its part. Food Sound’s installations involve you with their colours and lights.

From the wooden chairs and checkered tablecloth of a traditional Italian trattoria, to the metal stools and cold neon lights of a restaurant of the future, where very special dishes are served. And then dinner in the dark, during which you close your eyes and rely on your ears.

Thinking with your ears

Can sounds have a flavour? Is it possible that food freshness is associated with a specific shade? These questions are added to those we began with in our journey. The answers are found at the end of the exhibition, in the “market of illusions”.

Here you will test yourself again, to make food choices based only on listening.

Before you leave, there’s one last course waiting for you. Sit back and let yourself be lulled by stories, whispered in Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) mode, about the neuroscience research you've just experienced.

Ultimately, you’ll discover that sound is a key ingredient in savouring food, and that paying attention to your listening can yield unexpected discoveries.

Lots of collateral activities

Several collateral events, such as scientific conferences, tastings, book presentations, concerts, meetings with chefs, teachers and scholars have been planned to enrich the Food Sound exhibition.

Among the most interesting are workshops that involve the public with sensory tests related to food and drinks, and the co-participation of cooking, neuroscience, neuromarketing and psychology experts (8 May, 23 October and 27 November 2025). To say nothing of the musical performances, where sounds and flavours meet (29 May and 14 November, 2025).

Don’t miss the 12 July event with the Vegetable Orchestra, an original ensemble of musicians who build their own instruments from vegetables, and featuring sounds ranging from free jazz to dub to electronic.

For the little ones and families, the appointment is on 17 May, 2025 with the MUSE party, an afternoon of science shows, creative workshops, multisensory experiences and games to discover food.

IMAGES: MUSE Archive - Science Museum, photographer Michele Purin