Edible Enigma

About

Food, as an indispensable part of daily life, is often endowed with symbols of beauty and allure. However, its significance extends far beyond these confines. In this exhibition, we will explore the duality of food, presenting a combination of raw meat, animal skeletons, and delicious dishes to highlight its contrasting nature.

Mei Zheng explores memory and inheritance through copper utensils inspired by her pilgrimage to Fuzhou, China, in her piece Gifts of the Mandarin Tree. Similarly, Jimmy Zhao examines legacy and cultural implications with rice and monosodium glutamate in Spares, Just in Case, blending traditional materials with contemporary forms.

Rainy (Yufan) Tang, a Chinese illustrator based in New York, vividly depicts noodle bar scenes in Summer-Lunch, reflecting individual identities through food choices. Caro Dranow combines oil painting with expressive oil stick drawings in Sunny Side Up, offering a humorous and feminist take on pop culture's objectification of women.

Xiaofan Li interprets everyday moments through textiles in A Wonderful Shopping Experience, depicting supermarket shopping with rich detail. Sherly Fan uses multimedia and staged photography in Microbe Kitchen, commenting on the transformation of laboratory objects into refined dining settings.

Cheng Gong blends Chinese cuisine with Western art in Culinary Cavanses- No.2 Millet Pepper Fell in Love With the Little Rooster, prompting reflections on cultural identity. In "Be Our Guest," Amos Kang reimagines the Disney film Beauty and the Beast by serving “foreign” foods on a moving table, referencing Jesa, a Korean ritual for honoring ancestors.

Zoe Ze Zhou critiques anthropocentrism in My Mouth as a Plant Pot, using her mouth as a vessel for plant growth to challenge human dominance over nature. Ho Bin Kim explores identity and reality in Ep.1 Reality Sandwich: Are You High (school)?, blending personal memories with social commentary.