We Are What We You Eat
Curated by Fabiola Tosi, Assisted by Vidushi Lohia
Artist: Cristian Natoli, Gabriel Chalfin-Piney, Gericault De La Rose, Shonna Pryor, Kyle Belluci Johanson
We Are What We You Eat questions the validity of contemporary definitions of authenticity in relation to cultural identities, focusing on food preparation and sharing as an empowering cross-cultural practice of re-appropriation and agency.
In a political and social context where cultural identity and diversity are threatened by narratives of oppression and appropriation, communities are reclaiming their identities by reinforcing the relevance of heritage and traditions as drivers of self-affirmation. Storytelling stands at the core of this process. We Are What We You Eat focuses on a familiar space, the table, as the site where narratives of identity and belonging are created and shared. Here, storytelling becomes a tool of awareness to reaffirm a cultural identity that is passed on as heritage from one generation to the next.
It is when we sit at the table and share meals that we realize how much this simple everyday action represents a common practice, a non-dimensional zone of cultural synergy that we share as humans beyond time and space. Through interactions and storytelling, the dining table becomes a place where individuals are empowered in defining and reclaiming their identity, to reappropriate rooted cultural practices.
