Autour de la table

Around the Table, a participatory event organised by Intervals Collective with the contribution of La Centrale galerie Powerhouse, explored food issues in an inclusive and decolonial manner. During the residency at La Centrale, Intervals encouraged the sharing of individual and collective experiences of food through socially engaged events, presentations, workshops, and the invitation of artist collectives and food professionals.

Food, essential to our survival, holds a central place in our interactions and plays a key role in various traditions, cultures and rituals. Intervals has aimed to share experiences that evoke the personal memories of the audience and the artists, as well as those linked to collective consciousness.

Simultaneously, the project looked at production methods and working conditions in the food industry. By highlighting the importance of the work carried out by agricultural workers, the collective wanted to recognise and value their active participation in the community ecosystem.

The outcome of this research on food was showcased during a series of events where the audience was invited to enjoy refreshments while taking part in the following activities: sharing memories, drawing with spices and vegetable inks, discovering traditional Mexican chocolate and the symbolism of bread in traditional celebrations, exploring the culture of sugar, discussing the balance between preserving traditions and ethics.

Around the Table was developed as part of La Centrale's Laboratory Programming, which aims to present and exhibit the work, research and ideas of people from traditionally under-represented communities.

The series of events took place in two distinct phases:

The first phase took place in February 2024, the Intervals Collective collaborated with courier-art (Noriko Tanaka, UK and Miwa Kojima, Canada) to present Happy Hour, a socially engaged art event initiated by courier-art and artist Mica Funaki (Japan) in 2003. Between 2003 and 2005, the Happy Hour project was featured in four different countries, collecting people's stories of moments of happiness. After an interval of almost twenty years, the project was reactivated at La Centrale galerie Powerhouse, inviting participants to share happy memories involving food over tea and Japanese curry.

In the second phase of the project, during May 2024, the collective organised a three-day event in the form of a three-course menu (starter, main course, dessert & tea). Each course included a workshop/presentation by an artist or food professional who utilises food as a focal point for artistic or theoretical research.