In partnership with The EVE Hotel Sydney

For three days this September, the familiar rituals of hotel life are being reimagined as something altogether stranger. Coinciding with Sydney Contemporary, The EVE Hotel Sydney will hand over six of its guest rooms to six Australian artists and creatives for The Object Show – an immersive exhibition curated by Arts Matter exploring the increasingly porous boundaries between art, design and the objects we live with every day.

Each room takes a different theme, transforming the hotel into a series of intimate, inhabitable installations. Across the rooms, UnitePlayPerform turns monumental soft architecture into a playground for Play; BTWNLNS blurs the line between sculpture and function for Collectible; Jade Gillet of RAINBOW STUDIOS brings together almost 50 one-of-a-kind objects for Interior; in the Botanical Room, Benjamin Avery of Colourblind Studio is crafting towering stone forms wrapped in moss; and Arts-Matter × Tom Anson Mesker explores light as both object and atmosphere in Light. Among them, French-Australian conceptual cake artist Valentine Fodor, better known as Vege Mamma, is taking the idea of the functional object somewhere particularly gastronomic.

For her Edible room, Fodor has recreated the contents of an imaginary hotel stay entirely in cake: luggage, slippers, soap, a hairbrush, hot water bottle and room service menu rendered as hyper-realistic edible sculptures. Drawing on old-world hotels, vintage interiors and a certain cinematic sense of nostalgia, the installation plays with the moment when something recognisable becomes surreal – and when an object designed to be used becomes one designed, ultimately, to disappear.

Ahead of the installation, we spoke with Fodor about the pleasure of imperfection, the strange temporality of edible art, and why she’ll always be the guest who takes the hotel slippers.

What was the starting point for deciding which everyday hotel objects you would recreate in cake?

The first thing I did was go straight to Pinterest. There’s such an endless archive of imagery and ideas on there, and I love getting lost in it when I’m starting a new project.

I started exploring beautiful hotels, vintage interiors and old-world luxury. Rich colours, beautiful luggage, slippers, room service menus and vanity objects. I wanted the collection to feel opulent and nostalgic, with that slightly whimsical, cinematic quality you see in old Wes Anderson films. From there, I chose objects that felt instantly recognisable but also had enough personality and detail to become really beautiful, playful sculptures in cake. Together, I wanted them to feel like objects you might discover inside this imaginary, slightly eccentric luxury hotel.

What draws you to transforming familiar, functional objects into hyper-realistic edible sculptures?

I’ve always been really drawn to everyday objects and the little details that give them personality. I grew up around antiques because my parents are collectors, so I think I naturally developed an appreciation for unusual shapes, colours and objects from a young age.

There’s something really fun about taking something completely familiar and functional and recreating it as cake. I love that moment of confusion where you’re not quite sure if what you’re looking at is real or edible. It lets me bring together my love of food, fashion, interiors and objects, rather than thinking of cake in a traditional way.

What interests you about the tension between cake – something temporary and consumable – and the everyday objects you’re recreating, which are designed to be functional and durable?

I love that contrast. The objects I’m recreating are usually made to be used, kept and lived with, whereas cake is so temporary. I can spend hours, sometimes days, creating something and then ultimately it gets cut into and eaten. Sometimes it can actually be quite hard watching a piece be destroyed, especially when I’ve become attached to it. There are definitely cakes I wish I could keep forever.

But I also think that’s part of what makes the work special, it only exists for this very short moment in time. Once it’s gone, I still have the photograph, and in a way, that image becomes the lasting version of the piece. I think I’ve learned to be happy with that.

Which hotel room object has been the most fun to make?

Ooh! My favourites so far would probably have to be the hot water bottle and the soaps. I loved playing with the shapes, colours and little details of those pieces. Every object in the collection has an element that connects it to the others, whether that’s a colour, a monogram or a small detail, which makes the whole process feel really considered. I especially love seeing the collection grow with every new cake. It feels more and more like this little imaginary hotel world is coming to life.

Which has been the most challenging or surprising to make?

As I’m currently making the collection, I’m finding the luggage and slippers to be the most challenging. They’re both really sculptural pieces, so every angle and tiny detail has to be considered. It’s quite different from creating a cake that will mostly be seen as an image. These pieces will be exhibited and viewed in real life, up close and from every direction, which makes the process a lot more challenging.

But I also think that’s part of the charm of my work. I’m recreating realistic objects, but I don’t necessarily want them to be completely perfect. They’ll always be a little odd, uneven or slightly wonky because they’re handmade and they’re cake. I actually love those imperfections, they give each piece personality and make them feel like my work rather than exact replicas.

What’s your personal hotel room ritual – are you a “sample every miniature toiletry” person, a “steal the slippers” person, or something else entirely?

I’m definitely a steal-the-slippers kind of person, not going to lie! I usually bring and use my own toiletries, so I don’t get too involved in all the little bathroom products. But I absolutely love a hotel robe and slippers... who doesn’t? There’s something about putting them on that immediately makes you feel like you’re on holiday.

Is there an object you’ve always wanted to recreate in cake but haven’t had the excuse to yet?

Hmmm... ideas are always popping into my head, but I think I’d like to keep those to myself for now. I don’t want to ruin any surprises hehe! This collection has been so much fun because it’s actually a direction I’ve been wanting to explore more. I absolutely love creating realistic objects in cake, and I’m hoping there’ll be a lot more of it to come.

I still feel really new to this side of my work, as most people probably know me for my tiered, whimsical cakes rather than realistic objects. It’s been really exciting to push myself into something different, experiment with new techniques and see where I can take it. It’s super, super fun.

The exhibition explores the space between art, design and everyday living. Where do you see your own practice sitting within those boundaries?

I think my work naturally sits somewhere between all three. Cake is such an everyday, familiar thing, but I love pushing it beyond what people traditionally expect it to be. I’m always thinking about colour, shape, composition and objects in the same way I would with art or design, while still making something that ultimately has a function... it’s there to be eaten.

I also pull so much inspiration from outside the food world, especially fashion, interiors, antiques and everyday objects, so I’ve never really seen my practice as just baking. I think that’s what excites me most about it, there aren’t really any rules around where cake has to sit. It can be food, sculpture, design and art all at once.

The Object Show will run from 2–4 September 2026 at The EVE Hotel Sydney. Entry is free but spaces are limited, so bookings are required to secure your spot.