The Politics of Food
13 January–7 April 2014
Delfina Foundation
29/31 Catherine Place
London SW1E 6DY
On 20 January, Delfina Foundation reopens following a 1.4m GBP transformation of its buildings, designed by Studio Octopi and Shahira Fahmy Architects. The Foundation has expanded into an adjacent Edwardian townhouse, making it London’s largest host of international residencies.
As part of its relaunch, Delfina Foundation is inaugurating a new thematic approach towards residencies and public programming. Hospitality and conviviality are at the heart of Delfina Foundation. Since the Delfina Studio Trust, founded by Delfina Entrecanales in 1988, which became Delfina Foundation in 2007, the organisation has a provided a ‘home’ for artists to experiment and explore ideas. In its new space, Delfina Foundation will bring together cultural practitioners from around the world creating an informal ‘think tank’ to instigate new ideas and research wide-ranging issues, beginning with The Politics of Food.
The Politics of Food brings together 22 artists, curators and thinkers from across the globe to explore an array of strategies that address the history, politics, economics and ethics of food production, consumption, distribution and display.
From F.T.Marinetti’s Manifesto of Futurist Cookery to Gordon Matta-Clark’s conceptualrestaurant to Michael Rakowitz’s Enemy Kitchen, artists have often employed food in their creative process and practice. In recent years, a multitude of cultural practitioners has been interrogating relationships between food, local realities and global concerns, as well as notions of cooking and eating as performative acts and of dishes, recipes, and cookbooks as oft-contested markers of cultural memory.
Residency programme
The Politics of Food will unfold over the course of four years at Delfina Foundation, one season at a time. The winter season is curated in collaboration with writer, editor and foodie Michael C. Vazquez and involves cultural practitioners from 14 different countries.
Residents for one to three months include Asunción Molinos Gordo (ESP); Raed Yassin (LEB); Michael C. Vazquez (USA); Candice Lin (USA); Elia Nurvista (IDN); James Muriuki (KEN); Maryam Jafri (PAK/USA/DNK) in collaboration with Gasworks; and Ayreen Anastas (PAL/USA) & Rene Gabri (IRN/USA), in collaboration with The Showroom.
Guests for one to two weeks include Nat Muller (NLD); Bisi Silva (NGA); Michael Rakowitz (USA); Senam Okudzeto (GHA/UK/USA); Christine Mackey (IRL); Leone Contini (ITA); and Alessandra Saviotti (ITA).
UK Associates includes artists and researchers who are based in the UK: Gayle Chong Kwan, Sonya Dyer, Mariana Meneses, Bahbak Hashemi-Nezhad, Daniel Fernández Pascual, Larissa Sansour, and Standart Thinking.
Exhibition
20 January–15 February
Hours: Monday–Saturday 11–18h
The first exhibition in Delfina Foundation’s newly expanded space is a constellation of artworks that attempt to untangle complex histories and question current concerns in regards to food. This group exhibition introduces some of the ideas and issues that will be researched through residencies and complemented by events. Exhibiting artists include Abbas Akhavan, Gayle Chong Kwan, Candice Lin, Asunción Molinos Gordo, Senam Okudzeto, Jae Yong Rhee, Zineb Sedira, Tadasu Takamine, and Raed Yassin.
Events
The programme includes lunchtime talks and dinner discussions; performances around cooking and eating; film and video screenings; and ‘Food Fights,’ a series of cooking contests and debates between leading art world professionals. Visit www.delfinafoundation.com for more information.
Programme supporters
Mehves Ariburnu, Arts Council England, Arts Council Ireland, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, François Ghebaly Gallery, Gallery EM, Kalfayan Galleries, Athens – Thessaloniki, Office for Cultural and Scientific Affairs of the Embassy of Spain in London, Susanna Perini, PROJECT DE.MO./MOVIN’UP II, Kartika Soekarno, and Maria Sukkar.
Special thanks to Art14, Barrak Alzaid, Laura Carderera, Nicola Gates, Gasworks, Taymour Grahne, galerie kamel mennour, The JamJar, Mayssa Jaroudi, Louise Liwanag, Paloma Penniman, Yasmina Reggard, Sandra Sorinao, and The Showroom.
Delfina Foundation’s next theme will focus on common/public space from 8 April to 23 June 2014.
