Nithiya N x Su Pei and Mike
Art Experience 1 of 3 for AIYOH: BEING WELL
During a series of conversations that took place over take-out sushi and cheesecake, and handmade meals in Little India, Nithiya, Su Pei & Mike discussed their personal relationships with food. The topics ranged from the joys of Family Mart and Don Don Donki; to the comforting, but homogeneous flavours of pre-packaged meals; and the warmth of a home-cooked meal.
The fruit of their labour was an art experience where Nithiya, Su Pei and Mike invited audiences to sit down and have a conversation about food, over food.
The fruit of their labour was an art experience where Nithiya, Su Pei and Mike invited audiences to sit down and have a conversation about food, over food.
Dream Dish
Close your eyes. Imagine that you’re in an empty white room. You are hungry. Cold.
What would you most like to eat now?
With this scenario in mind, audiences were invited to draw their dream dish, with the promise that their dish would be ‘prepared’ for them at the end of the experience.
What would you most like to eat now?
With this scenario in mind, audiences were invited to draw their dream dish, with the promise that their dish would be ‘prepared’ for them at the end of the experience.
Artist:
Nithiya N
Nithiya N
Hosts:
Su Pei and Mike
Su Pei and Mike
The Onigiri
Scattered around the living room are pictures of onigiris - snapshots of Su Pei and Mike’s frequent travels to Japan. Over hand-made onigiris, the hosts share about their experiences with convenience food using their own love for pre-packaged onigiris as a starting point.
The onigiri served to the audiences was a delicious chicken rice onigiri, wrapped and packaged in plastic film, mimicking those found in convenience stores. For host Mike, chicken rice was the quintessential dish of convenience and comfort to Singaporeans.
The onigiri served to the audiences was a delicious chicken rice onigiri, wrapped and packaged in plastic film, mimicking those found in convenience stores. For host Mike, chicken rice was the quintessential dish of convenience and comfort to Singaporeans.
Artists:
Su Pei and Mike
Su Pei and Mike
A/B Laksa
Audiences were invited to a blind taste test of two laksa broths. One was Su Pei’s favourite laksa premix by Prima Deli, while the other was Nithiya’s home-cooked laksa made with fresh ingredients from Tekka Market.
Over bowls of laksa, Nithiya, Su Pei and Mike prompted audiences to consider their biases and share which laksa broth they preferred. Why do they prefer the laksa that they do? Is it familiarity? Depth of taste? Tastiness? What do they really look for in a bowl of laksa?
Over bowls of laksa, Nithiya, Su Pei and Mike prompted audiences to consider their biases and share which laksa broth they preferred. Why do they prefer the laksa that they do? Is it familiarity? Depth of taste? Tastiness? What do they really look for in a bowl of laksa?
Artist:
Nithiya N
Hosts:
Su Pei and Mike
Nithiya N
Hosts:
Su Pei and Mike
The Restaurant of the Future
"The dish you ordered is ready!" Audiences are shuffled into a small room in groups of three with the promise of their dream dish.
As each trio enter the dimly lit room, they are greeted by name and welcomed to sit down by a server. They are served a small box containing 9 coloured cubes. The server sprays scents mimicking their dream dish onto the box.
"Your meal has been served. Please leave."
Audiences are then shuffled out of the home and into the common corridor to enjoy their "dream dish".
What audiences experienced was in fact Nithiya, Su Pei and Mike’s imagination of the Restaurant of the Future, where food becomes simply a necessity. Each coloured cube served was infused with a superfood that mimicked the possible future and direction of food consumption. The sharp, cold and jarring experience prompted audiences to ponder over their own relationships with food.
As each trio enter the dimly lit room, they are greeted by name and welcomed to sit down by a server. They are served a small box containing 9 coloured cubes. The server sprays scents mimicking their dream dish onto the box.
"Your meal has been served. Please leave."
Audiences are then shuffled out of the home and into the common corridor to enjoy their "dream dish".
What audiences experienced was in fact Nithiya, Su Pei and Mike’s imagination of the Restaurant of the Future, where food becomes simply a necessity. Each coloured cube served was infused with a superfood that mimicked the possible future and direction of food consumption. The sharp, cold and jarring experience prompted audiences to ponder over their own relationships with food.
Artist:
Nithiya N
Hosts:
Su Pei and Mike
Nithiya N
Hosts:
Su Pei and Mike