FOOD

FOOD is a series curated by Helga Fassonaki in conjunction with EPMoA’s concurrent exhibit at LACE galleries (October 13 – December 19, 2010).  Artists are asked to position themselves as chefs or hosts – as a catalyst for gatherings, conversation/dialogue, exchanges (political/social) and interactions within the boundaries of Elysian Park.  Artists may choose to prepare food and/or lead a discussion in the area of food justice. It is completely up to the artist to decide how they choose to form/shape this gathering. They may choose a specific part of Elysian Park to further shape the ‘event’, keeping in mind the use of public parks for picnics and birthday parties.  Artists may also choose to collaborate with other artists.

The title FOOD is taken from Gordon Matta Clark’s restaurant called FOOD and is a direct homage to him. Every Sunday, he would have a different artist be the Chef, resulting in often bizarre gatherings.  His widow, Jane Crawford, recalled such a time when Clark “cooked a lovely whole sea bass, but it emerged from the kitchen encased in a block of aspic nearly three feet long. He unmolded it, then gave the table a good kick, so that the aspic wobbled wildly and the bass seemed to fishtail upstream”.

I envision FOOD as a process as well as a set of actions  incorporating discussions on food and social issues without taking for granted the simple gestures that can occur naturally when bringing people together around food.