ANNA GLASS

Table Residuals was a curated dinner featured in the gallery show opening of Embodied Recollections. This collaborative exhibition of four RISD MFA students drew upon themes of family, history, nostalgia, and time. For the opening event, the artists wanted to perform a dinner, to highlight the ritual of communal eating as a familial activity that punctuates a busy workday. This was my first opportunity to create an eating experience within a gallery setting, with guests watching me throughout the full setup and service. 

 

The goal was to highlight the beauty of a communal meal, but also to challenge the conventions of appropriate settings for eating and socializing. The temporary table was built of a shipping pallet, and the setting featured an asymmetrical turntable surrounded by handmade wooden and glass serving dishes. I crafted a menu of highly pigmented foods with the intention of leaving a physical imprint on the tablecloth, which would remain in the gallery space for the remainder of the show.