Superior hand-eye coordination and agility proved to be an asset at a preview cocktail reception for the National Gallery of Art’s Dada exhibition last week.

In one corner of the East Building mezzanine terrace was a 20-foot-long, looping conveyor belt—a sort of high-tech grab and go. Savory hors d’oeuvres such as miniature cassoulets of veal and duck confit as well as foie gras lollipops dusted with sugar moved quickly along the imaginative delivery system. Patrons gathered around and promptly made their selections.

Modern in design, food-on-the-move proved to be a clever tie-in after a tour of the playful, avant-garde Dada art that emerged in Europe during World War I. The exhibition opened Sunday and runs through May 14.

“Very inventive. It’s art within itself, constantly changing,” Angie Renner of Arlington said as she selected a paper cone of fried olives with feta cheese when it sailed by. And just as quickly as the small plates were chosen, a chef at the far end filled in the gaps.

Capitol Hill-based Occasions Caterers put on quite a show of its own. “The point of the exhibition is breaking all the rules, and we thought the conveyor belt would be not only unexpected but practical,” said Eric Michael, who started the business 20 years ago with his twin brother Mark.

Long popular at select sushi bars in this country and common in Japan, a conveyor belt might never replace the server with tray or the buffet table. But it is a novel way to get the food out into a crowd and it's the first of its kind to be used by a caterer in the Washington area.