‘The Collective_ish’ was initially conceptualised as a physical exhibition exploring the subject of food. The history of food in art needs no introduction, but we wanted to explore its conviviality and relational aesthetics. We wanted to dislocate art from the privileged intellectual spheres of power and find it in the tangibility and proximity of food since it is our opinion that art can be found in food as much as on a canvas or in an installation.’
By early March our exhibition plans had been disrupted by COVID-19. However, this presented us with a new opportunity. In the absence of a physical space, we have rerouted to the digital realm. As we saw artists the world over respond to the current climate in various ways, we decided that our aim would not be so much as to document the developments of the pandemic, but to use our previous theme of food as a common language to communicate and tend to emotions, find comfort, exchange viewpoints, secure cultural identity, discuss aspirations, voice concerns, preserve social constructs, play with ritual, and of course, artistically experiment. The subject of food therefore took on new meaning as it became intertwined with threat and disease, surpassed spatial and temporal limitations, and took on even more societal value than before.
Fittingly, our last time together in person was over dinner. We didn’t know it, but a simple meal, considerate of all diets, made with care, would be the last time in a long time. We relaxed over beer and cheap snacks, reminisced over the three years we had known one another and tentatively voiced our aspirations for the future. We end the project with more questions than when we started, but a renewed appreciation for sharing, hosting, conviviality... all the gestures that build commonality.