Highlights from Feast: Radical Hospitality in Contemporary Art
Smart Museum of Art
at the University of Chicago
through June 10th
Just as we explored the convergence of food and art with No. 5 Omnivorous, the Smart Museum of Art has done so with Feast: Radical Hospitality in Contemporary Art. All of the work in Feast, which is from the 1930s to the present, centers around the act of sharing food with each other, using this everyday experience to have a conversation about how we relate to each other and the food that we put in our bodies. It makes sense that most of the show is made up of remnants from performances, which can be difficult to translate in video, sketches, and props.
Before even entering the gallery, you are greeted with teaspoon of strawberry preserves. This Serbian tradition is a sweet introduction to the theme of hospitality, etiquette and generosity that can be found in the other work. Some highlights of the show, for me, were Mella Jaarsma’s “I Eat You Eat Me” and Laura Letinsky’s still life photographs of tables after meals.
Mella Jaarsma, photo documenting performance of I Eat You Eat Me, 2002.
Mella Jaarsma’s “I Eat You Eat Me” is an ongoing performance piece she began in 2002 in which volunteers share a meal by feeding each other. First they wear a special table of sorts that Jaarsma created: it consists of a metal tabletop (for two or six people) with spaces carved out for plates and drinks, and is connected to bibs for each person to wear. This way the table rests on the diners’ legs as they eat. Each diner orders food for their partner, and feeds each bite to them. The diners have to be careful not to move too much, since they are connected to the table and each other, and they must become sensitive to the rhythm and eating habits of their partner. With this intimate experience, Jaarsma wants each person to “get into the skin of the other.” While feeding the other person, she wants you to think about how the other person tastes the food.
Feast features the apparatus used in the performance, and video documentation of some of the performances. You may also become part of this ongoing project by checking out the bibs-and-table at the Smart Museum Café.
Laura Letinsky, "Rome," 2009.
At first glance, Laura Letinsky’s photographs seem like snapshots of a messy dinner table, but it doesn’t take long to realize they are more than that. For example, “Rome”, 2009, shows the sensual opulence of a meal that includes fancy pink plates, runny egg yolks, and prawn shells. The photo is at once natural and extraordinary, because we create leftovers daily, but they are not often viewed larger than life and with such careful composition. Letinsky’s photos made me want to take the time to appreciate the beauty of leftover food, though “Rome” is more about the tension between food as nourishment and overindulgence.
Feast felt more like eating at a fancy modern restaurant than your everyday meal: you didn’t always know what you were eating, much of it was good, some of it was weird, and instead of feeling stuffed at the end, you are left wanting more, which is about as successful as a show like this can be. Thankfully, the Smart Museum has included many related programs throughout the run of Feast, helping to connect the art on the walls to the viewers (and their stomachs).
Feast is in its final week, so be sure to check out the show, along with two remaining events:
The Act of Drinking Beer with Friends is the Highest Form of Art
Thursday, June 7th, 5:30pm
Free beer will be offered at the bar installation in the exhibit as a continuation of Tom Marioni’s salon project that he began in 1970. Chicago’s theater collective The Neo-Futurists will be guest bartenders.
Sunday, June 10th, 2pm
The closing party for the show will include ice cream cake with special designs by artist David Robbins.
There are also several ongoing events: http://smartmuseum.uchicago.edu/join-the-feast/.
Post by Suzie
