Week 10: Practical research – Gurl Dinner – Content Devlopment
In this week’s meeting in the Summerhall space, we started by reflecting on the aesthetic themes that emerged in making a collective Pinterest board focused on the forms of decoration that we would like to constitute the table scape. We agreed that natural materials would make up the main body of the decoration, with foraged wildflowers and rocks being collected towards the centre of the table. To emphasize the notion of refinement, a limited colour palette was selected, using mostly white, green, and other neutral colours. Cut glass items and small jars/vases occurred frequently in the images that we collected, as well as rocks and stones.
Material Requirements
We drafted a list of items that we believed were necessary and feasible to be foraged/purchased within a budget of £60, with each of us contributing £15 to this total:
- Bedsheet to be used as a tablecloth
- Drinking glasses (for attendees to be served water)
- Water
- Glass vases
- Glass bottles
- Candles (Open flames were not permitted in the space for health and safety reasons, so candles would not be lit)
- Menus (to be designed and printed)
- Fabric for napkins
- Flowers
- Branches and twigs
- Rocks
- Paper
Content development
Following on from the curatorial session combining the contemporary art practice, and contemporary art theory courses, we suggested inviting San Zhang to perform their piece Lobster in a China Shop. This work has clear ties to food and dining culture, with the physical focus of the piece, the ceramic lobster, which is then partially dismantled by the artist. Additionally, the materiality of the ceramic aesthetically aligns the lobster with imagery of plates, cups, and other elements of dinner presentation. This would be especially potent as an introduction to the event in the form of a ‘starter.’ The nature of the performance piece attracts and holds the attention of the audience, situating the viewer within the dining space and conceptually preparing us for the rest of the evening’s events. Further, the performance requires an active engagement of the viewer, with call-and-response-style interactions between the artist and the audience. The audience is pulled into the atmosphere of Gurrl Dinner as they are forced to become collaborators in the piece and, by extension, the rest of the evening.
We identified that the ‘Main’ should be something substantial that places the emphasis entirely on the activities of the audience. It was decided that this should take the form of an art-making workshop, where participants are allowed to freely respond to the stimulus of the space and the previous performance. We experimented with ideas of different forms of art making, contemplating serving participants blocks of clay that could then be dismantled and then reformed. However, due to budgeting restrictions and the fact that this would be likely to become a messy affair, we decided on something simpler. A collective drawing exercise would take place in a separate area of the gallery space, divided from the ‘dining table’ by one of the temporary walls. Drawing materials would be served on dining platters, and paper hung on the wall.
Lastly, we identified that a dessert is sweet. Something that is easy, unlike the forms of focused activities that constitute the ‘starter’ and ‘main,’ it is intended to satiate the ‘hunger’ of the attendees. Additionally, it should act as a cool-down from the previous activities before people leave, as well as be relaxing to aid in the ‘digestion’ of the previous tasks. We landed on the idea of a ‘Theoretical Fruit Salad,’ where Sarah Percival, Kate Garamone, Emily Geary, and I would each read a selected poem that pertains in some way to fruit.
Allocation of tasks
We concluded this meeting by allocating tasks to each of us before a meeting in the following week. I was made responsible for creating the menus and the invitations.
