The relationship between the art and the food is explored through specific pairings, for example:
The works of artist Sehaj Malik are emblematic of her upbringing that was influenced by her father working in industrialized Delhi. Nothing represents the use of mechanical motion and repetition better than a Delhi staple: Laccha paratha. It requires skillful layering and repetition that can only be perfected through the passage of time. Both the art and the food examine the misperception of labour and how labour becomes know-how, with repetition and time.
The longing that exists in people in the public sphere, to be known for who they truly are in their private lives is a duality that people often live with in Karachi (and most of the world for that matter!) that is well-encapsulated in Zahra Mansoor's art. We reinterpret a Karachi-classic by serving a latticed Nalli Nihari pie to symbolize the collision of the artworks' parallel realities where a traditional stew that is simmered for hours to develop complexity stands in sharp contrast to the glimpses you get of an unassuming piece of meat through the lattice-patterned pastry.
Through our show Topographies, we offer a way of engaging with South Asian culture that moves past simplified readings. It invites visitors to see, taste and reflect on the many ways a culture is lived and expressed.
Rather than a physical illustration of the artworks, the food has been designed to represent the emotional depths of each artistâs works.
Poster design by Andrea Salinas
Photography by Clavia McClain
