How do we understand the concept of cuisine? What role is food playing in connection to our identity? Is it inseparably linked to nationality?


Food is an excellent medium to observe, examine and attempt to understand changes in society, especially in relation to the idea of nation-states and native cuisines. The project explores this thought further and questions our relationship with culinary traditions through an embroidered tablecloth and a dining experience. 


A tablecloth, and certainly one that is hand-embroidered by an ancestor, will often be passed on through generations and subsequently gain new layers of meaning. It serves not only as a carrier of information but with usage becomes a canvas and an artefact to record its history. The tablecloth in this project serves as the foundation of a dining experience which brings together six people and six variations of the same dish: Szałot, Salada Russa, Italienischer Salat, Macédoine, Francoska Solata and Mišrainė. Through embroidered patterns and recipes, written in six native languages, the project challenges the idea of the authenticity of viands, and instead shows the fluidity and intangibility of cuisine.
It stresses the importance of community and regionalities by highlighting what connects them regardless of political borders. The meal facilitates a conversation with a focus on traditions and rituals around cooking, eating, sharing, and not least the emotions that accompany them.  

The project was mentioned in “The best and most striking of the Dutch Design Week” article by Financieel Dagblad.