At the Table. Eating and Drinking in Contemporary Art
Curated by Christina Danick and Michael Griff
Museum Ostwall at the Dortmunder U, Dortmund, Germany,
9 May-20 July 2025
All over the world, people come together to eat and drink. When we share meals, we trade stories, converse about things and get to know each other.Meals are the setting in which political discussion, first dates and family celebrations take place. We also attach personal significance and traditions to dining that vary from place to place.
At the Table. Eating and Drinking in Contemporary Art shows works by contemporary artists which examine cultural, social and gender-related topics connected to the shared meal. Many of the works were created in collaboration with residents of Dortmund.Like a menu with multiple courses, these works lead the way through the exhibition and invite visitors to experience them with all of their senses.
Featured are works by Alina and Jeff Bliumis, Marie Donike and Johannes Specks, Mona Hatoum, Zhanna Kadyrova, a work from the Deball class at the Kunstakademie Münster, and works by Narges Mohammadi and Iden Sungyoung Kim.
During the exhibition's run-time, the Museum Ostwall will be inviting visitors to culinary evenings involving cooking and eating together.An educational outreach programme will include tours, workshops and programming for schools and day care. The exhibition's interactive space will feature participatory Al stations where visitors can explore and use their creativity together.
In parallel to Am Tisch, visitors can observe conservators studying the artwork Dove va tutta 'sta gente? by Studio Azzurro. The research project, titled Wohin gehen all diese Leute? Medienkunst restaurieren- installieren - erfahren (Where are all these people going? Restoring, installing and experiencing media art, is on the 6th floor. With the help of numerous international partners, the Museum Ostwall is studying how the work from 1999 can be technologically implemented and experienced today.
Installation view: Alina and Jeff Bliumis, A Painting For A Family Dinner 2008-2025, part of At the Table. Eating and Drinking in Contemporary Art, curated by Christina Danick and Michael Griff MuseumOstwall at the Dortmunder U (MO), May 8 - July 20, 2025.