Cultivating Tastes
The work seeks out ancient stories from around the world, cultivating relationships with diverse local communities who share their cultural and personal connections to food. It celebrates the cuisine that has traversed continents to be enjoyed through the rich culinary traditions of Melbourne; recipes are compiled and flavoursome plants cultivated.
Suitcases fecund with the plants that season each dish are installed in unexpected sites. They pinpoint the provenance of the corresponding recipe and explore the issue of food sovereignty.
Acknowledging four of Banyule’s less prominent, but steadily growing cultural communities – Iranian, Malaysian, Somali and Vietnamese. Many thanks go to Farideh Azadi, Margaret Ong, Hamdi Ibrahim, and Dr Tien Huynh for their generosity in sharing their favourite recipes and the stories behind them.
Farideh Azadi selected the dish baghala-polo-ba-mahiche and Kashk-e Bademjan, Tien Huynh’s chosen dish was Bún Thịt Nướng and Margaret Ong chose Beef Rendang.
Suitcases will be installed across Banyule in September 2018 as part of the the Pinpoint public art festival.