/ participatory cooking happening /
Edith Sachs Visual Arts, Miraflores (Lima)
august 2002
19h30 – 22h00
action + happening + installation
participatory cooking happening.
Starting with a potatoes cooking action, these were offered to the assistants when already boiled, so they could taste them. If the assistants did not wish to eat only potatoes, they were invited to prepare sauces, and to make more elaborated recipes (domestic, traditional or experimental prescriptions or mixtures). In the opposite side of the table where potatoes have been cooked, were knives, vegetables, species and a mixer. Who wishes to buy some ingredient to elaborate a preparation, was welcome.
The given potatos varieties (camotillo, canchán, negra, and others) came from Jauja and Junín, in the central Highlands of Peru. Those high-altitude potato varieties are not massive produced, because they had low demand in big cities. Only can be found in regional migrants markets or in certain big markets. With the Peruvian gastronomical boom after 2010 those high-altitude potato varieties had been becoming trendy and raw material for biological oriented markets, as well as “organic native” chips.
While people cooked and got into talk, a computer screen showed a power-point presentation that included images, texts and statistical data. That information allowed the viewer to realize the potato production surround, and also its industrial use. Different stages where a common potato, reveal different rules and participatory contexts. Not only Peruvian agricultural reality were analyzed, also globalization strategies like fast-food in alimentary habits, also industrial production, but also from national agricultural statistical databases. At the other side, the hunger, the single woman with her first childhood, alimentary globalization habits, national agricultural department official data… in an place with lounge, ambient and drum ’n bass music. The confrontation among peasants, industry, as well as urban consumers.
papalounge is looking for a encounter and dialogue space, from the notion of everyday hunger, and sociocultural surround where food is produced. Within this encounter and participatory cooking process, the passerby realized about globalization. Confronting individual experiences, the joy allow the people to talk each other, finding new dishes, and sharing recipes in a solidarity manner.
> potatoes cooking action / happening
> participatory kitchen process
> music by Peter Wolf
> power-point presentation images
