It has been a couple of weeks since two delegations from the Jogja-based interdisciplinary study group Bakudapan, Ayas and Monika, arrived at the UK for their residency with Whitstable Biennale. Working together with artist Hannah Lees – who recently visited Jogja - they are developing a project over which will connect local food researchers and artist-research groups in connected areas, as well as institutions within Whitstable Biennale’s network. Read below to take a sneak peek of their residency diary in the UK.
Ayas and Monika spent the first few days of the residency visiting a series of events held in Serpentine Galleries in London called the ‘Radical Kitchen’ which was run by the Somalia – UK artist Fozia Ismail who also uses food as her medium of work. The theme was around ‘Chilli’. Starting with a Samosa cooking workshop followed by a sharing session with the participants about food created by chilli related to their hometowns.
Ayas and Monika continued their network visits by stopping by at the Delfina Foundation, where they met Aaron and Gillean, and shared many things, particularly on Delfina Foundation's seasonal program called Food Politics, and gifted one of their journal collections - thanks to Aaron’s generosity. The two of them continued their journey to Cardiff where they spent the night there, before hosting a discussion at the Breakfast Club session the next morning at G39. It was followed by a walk to the Community Gardens with the Breakfast Club’s participants, where they shared references to plants and ended the day by meeting the local residents of Roath.
