Christian Sleiman – Rituals of Harvesting and Eating

After the Market, Saturday 11 May, 12:30 pm

Christian Sleiman is a Lebanese artist based in Amsterdam and Beirut who currently lives in the Schleswig-Holstein artists’ residency otte1. In his practice, he tries to explore the vegetative soul through small rituals, fables and recipes. The vegetative soul encompasses the function of nutrition, metabolism, growth and decay. The animal/sensual soul also has perception, imagination, sensations of pleasure and pain, desire and movement.

Using food as a medium, he combines the gathering, cooking and serving of food to explore the political dimension of eating and the communal value associated with it. These actions reveal a deeper collective understanding of ecosystems and the seasonality of the land that has been passed down through generations.

Visitors are invited to attend a culinary presentation by Christian Sleiman on 11 May. The artist will serve dishes inspired by his research into the national cuisine. His approach is a rhizomatic framework to weave together different aspects of his research, including Massimo Montanari’s writings on culture and food, the impact of global changes on intangible culture, the Futurist movement with its controversial “anti-pasta manifesto” and the competition between Levantine countries to have dishes included in the Guinness World Records.

The presentation will last about 20 minutes, followed by an opportunity to enjoy the meal together. A limited number of people can take part in the meal. Registration via email at info@otte1.org