ライハン

Ryhan M.Y.

Grazing Tables: Japan is a collaborative series between Ryhan M.Y. and Nutshouse in an attempt to renegotiate how visitors perceive food.

Using a series of photographs from Ryhan’s latest project, The Excursion of a Memory, Nutshouse will be interpreting these images through the vessel of food; creating a complete sensory experience of sight, sound, and smell for each visitor. By working together both parties aim to push the boundaries of how art is experienced, immersing viewers whilst giving them the space to reflect on their own opinions on the photos.

How much do we actually know about how our food is produced? Will learning about the history of how certain ingredients travelled around the globe change the way we consume? And can some memories that previously lay dormant be stirred awake through different ingredients? Perhaps at the end of the day, the malleability of food and cuisine is similar to photography: both perfect tools of capturing moments in time.

The photographs selected for this exhibition range from heritage food products located within Japan, as well as food products produced overseas but now possess their own place in Japanese cuisine. Nutshouse will amplify this backdrop by having dishes made on site during the exhibition. Visitors may be allowed to taste some of these dishes, and will only do so at their own discretion.

Through this project both Ryhan and Nutshouse hope to dive deeper into the cultural shifts of basic kitchen ingredients and enable visitors to reassess their connection within the kitchen.

(In addition to Kyoto, Grazing Tables is also expected to take place in the Netherlands, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia).