bread, butter, tea, soup
Jan 11-25, 2024
artLAB Gallery
John Labatt Visual Arts Centre, Western University
bread, butter, tea, soup is a gathering place and a series of food-based artistic interventions presented by the Creative Food Research Collaboratory. In the darkness of winter, before the light begins to return incrementally, we invite all to share in the warmth, comfort and complexity of food; to eat, learn, digest and imagine together.
bread, butter, tea, soup takes place within a convergence of handbuilt stalls, bringing to mind the farmers’ market or the tianguis where food and knowledge are shared. The stalls will form a stage, creating a space in which four artists will present a series of edible and critical interventions, the traces of which will be left behind to savour throughout the duration of the exhibition. Artistic activations include:
Maria Simmons and Katie Lawson: Bog Butter and Sourdough
Friday 12 January 2024, 1-3pm
Join artist Maria Simmons for a bog butter workshop and tasting, sampling a log preserved over the last year in a Mattawa, Ontario mire. Sourdough bread made with local grains by Katie Lawson will be shared as they discuss their intersecting interests in carbon-rich peatlands, ritual, fermentation, preservation and decay.
Elaine Chan-Dow: Five Flower Tea (五花茶)
Tuesday 16 January 2024, 1-3pm
This workshop and talk will be a creative exploration of the historical roots and contemporary importance of Five Flower Tea. We will examine Five Flower Tea (五花茶) through various senses (touch, smell, taste) and the lens of Chinese diasporic experiences.
Anahí González: Collective Soup / Sopa Colectiva
Thursday, 25 January 2024, 12 - 2pm
Where does our food come from? The Collective Soup / Sopa Colectiva stall within the gallery will function as a living space where people can contribute items for others to take freely during the exhibition. On the final day, we will prepare a collective soup using vegetables showcased in the show. The workshop aims to exchange personal anecdotes about vegetables and food while delving into the origins of produce in today’s Canada and enjoying a warm soup as a community.
