THE EAT PORTFOLIO
COFFEE LOUNGER
The cardboard chair made up of stacked discarded cardboards was placed in the middle of a public courtyard and infused with coffee. The installation was an experiment in sensory design and was meant to evoke associations to 'coffee breaks'.
The modified version of the cardboard chair made up of stacked discarded cardboards was placed in the middle of a public courtyard and infused with coffee. In addition to the chair, a footstool was placed which allowed for more than one person to sit and enjoy a 'coffee break'. The installation was an experiment in sensory design and was meant to evoke associations to 'coffee breaks'.
Breakfast installation at the Norrlands Opera in Umea, Sweden for the MADE Festival in collaboration with the students of Architecture school.
The breakfast consisted of parathas, a traditional breakfast bread in Pakistan. Guests were served the paratha wrapped in an Urdu newspaper(as is done in the streets) with Swedish strawberry jam which was an ode to individual food memories and the comfort it evokes. The food was served on mappings of the city of Umea and the guests were asked to mark out their comfort zones across the city. The breakfast was meant to be interactive and was a diaogue on comfort and context.
Guests were seated on the floor, and were made to break the bread with their hands. They were surrounded by audio and visual reminders of a busy food street in Pakistan, as they sat having their breakfast in snowy Umea. Migrants seek comfort in food, even in vastly different contexts.
ROOT THE ROUTE is a series which attempts at discovering the origins, the traditions and the folklore behind the foods we eat. The dinner event catered by one of EAT Umeå's ladies, takes us back to China, where the dumplings as we know them originated.
The series hopes to educate people on the origins of foods that have transcended boundaries and made their way into global palates. Evolution of foods is inevitable as they move from region to region but it is important to realise and respect their origins.
The dinner was held in conjunction with Uminova EXpression's lecture evening where Wii Architects gave a presentation. 3 types of dumplings were served, each representing a different folklore to the dumpling's origins.While each guest had their own dumpling 'tray', there was only 1 bowl each of dipping sauce which naturally forced the guests to move from table to table and interact as they poured the dipping sauce over their dumplings.
EAT Umea collaborated with Interdine to have a discussion around a dinner table where we discussed delicate themes and urgent issues over food, in an informal matter. The invitees were a medley of Umea residents, refugees, public officials and activists. Following the influx of migrants/refugees in Sweden, it has been impertinent to have open discussions.
The evening started with a Pakistani food workshop which was held where the invitees got together to learn and prepare a typical dinner.
EAT Umea works on the principles of food being the ultimate equalizer, and as all the guests sat over the dinner to discuss the pressing issues with regards to the policies and treatment of refugees in the Swedish society, it allowed for a peaceful conversation to take place even if vastly different viewpoints.
COMFORT & CONTEXT
ROOT THE ROUTE
EAT UMEA+ INTERDINE
CONFERENCES
Sofia | Bulgaria Presented paper: FOOD, THE COMMON LANGUAGE. The current conference aims to outline some of the specific aspects of cultural heritage in migration, interpreting it from the perspective of its significance for maintaining immigrants’ cultural identity in a foreign setting and its role in the processes of consolidation of immigrant communities.
Aarhus, Denmark Presented: THE ODDITY AND AMAZINGNESS OF CULTURAL QUIRKS. Creative Tastebuds was a unique event uncovering how our sense of taste affects our lives.
Lesvos, Greece Paper presented: THE INCONSPICUOUS CONTRABAND: FOOD The conference emphasised multidirectional discussions and open debate of contested—rather than “settled”—issues, as opposed to unidirectional knowledge transmission by institutionally acknowledged academic experts.