the chopping, the stirring, the occasion
2023, mixed media installation, food+sound art
‘the chopping, the stirring, the occasion’ is a food artwork that involves communal cooking, data gathering, and a data-driven soundscape of preparation. The kitchen is an emotionally charged environment that acts as a threshold of intimacy and trust – to ‘see the kitchen’ is to be allowed in and accepted. The work is made in two stages:
First is a communal preparation of a traditional Lithuanian dish, a cold beetroot soup ‘šaltibarščiai‘. During the preparation, chopping sounds are recorded with surface microphones attached to the chopping board. The finished soup and conversation are shared between participants.
Afterwards, the collected data is replayed on a loop as a perpetual, endless ritual of preparing a meal for guests. Utensils set on stepper motors gently hit the cutting board, recreating a domestic soundscape of anticipation and care. As the rhythm repeats, the before and after of a meal becomes blurred, the kitchen turns mobile, and the invitation echoes.
First exhibited and made as part of Art for All Festival 2023
‘the chopping, the stirring, the occasion’ is a food artwork that involves communal cooking, data gathering, and a data-driven soundscape of preparation. The kitchen is an emotionally charged environment that acts as a threshold of intimacy and trust – to ‘see the kitchen’ is to be allowed in and accepted. The work is made in two stages:
First is a communal preparation of a traditional Lithuanian dish, a cold beetroot soup ‘šaltibarščiai‘. During the preparation, chopping sounds are recorded with surface microphones attached to the chopping board. The finished soup and conversation are shared between participants.
Afterwards, the collected data is replayed on a loop as a perpetual, endless ritual of preparing a meal for guests. Utensils set on stepper motors gently hit the cutting board, recreating a domestic soundscape of anticipation and care. As the rhythm repeats, the before and after of a meal becomes blurred, the kitchen turns mobile, and the invitation echoes.
First exhibited and made as part of Art for All Festival 2023
