Event One: FOOD

I’m so impressed how a few prompts for a dialogue about food and it’s intersections with art, architecture and radical organising could so easily lead to an engaged discussion for an entire night. Not knowing how, or whether this set up would work we had such a great group of really generous people who contributed their insights to the night. The dialogue covered many topics from art theory, architecture, food in prison, food in radical organising to discussions on taste.

We started off the night eating borscht and watching FOOD by Robert Frank, a film about Gordon Matta-Clark and Carol Goodden’s 70s SoHo restaurant. The screening was informal and allowed people to have a chat about the film and introduce themselves so we weren’t all of a sudden sat down at a table upon arriving.

After the film we sat down at the table (complete with Danielle’s wonderful table arrangements from local flowers), introduced ourselves and ate gumbo (the menu of the night was inspired by food they were cooking in the FOOD film – but vegan of course) we then started of the night by one of the questions written on my placemat. Everyone had a question written in their placemat under their bowl as a way to continue the discussion in case there was a lull in the dialogue. I must say we hardly got through any of them as the conversation naturally covered many of the topics.

Desert was sago pudding as yogurt as they eat in the film isn’t exactly vegan, plus sago is delicious. This allowed for a break in the discussion before the next course of dialogue. 

There was many insightful points, and perhaps a couple of questionable comments, made by our guests – but that’s for a later date. Danielle and I are yet to transcribe the conversation and reflect further on the conversation. But for now here’s a few pictures: