Veronique Chen
Veronique Chen
Dust and Shapes: Modern Migration and Belonging through Food
Multidisciplinary Exhibition & Public Programme
6 April 2024
Pushkin House, London
Curated by Giuseppe Burdo, Veronique Chen, Anoushka Gogoi & Clara Ada Mantegazza
Overview
Dust and Shapes: Modern Migration and Belonging through Food was a multidisciplinary exhibition and public programme held at Pushkin House, London, on 6 April 2024. Founded in 1954, Pushkin House is an independent cultural institution and registered charity in the UK. Located in an 18th-century historic building in Bloomsbury, London, it provides a unique historical context for interdisciplinary artistic practices and cultural dialogue.
The project explored experiences of modern migration and belonging through the sensory language of food, bringing together visual art, culinary practices, poetry, music and participatory activities. Through shared experiences around food and artistic expression, the programme examined how origins, journeys and personal encounters shape individual identities and relationships with new environments.
The exhibition focused on the ways migration influences cultural identity and belonging. It explored how personal histories, memories and traditions continue to evolve through movement, displacement and encounters with different cultures. The project considered migration not only as a physical journey, but also as an ongoing process through which individuals negotiate identity, adaptation and connection.
Through artworks and sensory experiences, Dust and Shapes presented different perspectives on migration — from cultural transformation and displacement to the reconstruction of identity through the interaction between inherited traditions and new surroundings.
The project brought together artists, food designers, poets and musicians to create a shared space where different forms of cultural memory and personal narratives could meet.
Food Workshop
The food workshop invited participants to explore migration experiences through culinary practices. Using recipes, memories and ingredients connected to personal journeys, the workshop encouraged participants to reflect on how food carries cultural identity and emotional connections.
By gathering around food, participants explored how traditional practices are adapted and transformed when encountering new environments, creating new relationships with places and communities.
Food designers Giuseppe Burdo, Leyu Li, Yinglun Mao and Raffaella Merolla contributed to the culinary experience, combining creative approaches to food with themes of memory, movement and belonging.
Exhibition Viewing
The exhibition presented works by artists including Arohi Gupta, Emilia Gonzalez, Jihyun Kim, J.D Rooney, Khushboo, Mati Araoz, Mehmil Nadeem, Mengyuan Tong, Monica Tong, Naj Shirazi, Nathaniel Trost, Sirun Chen, Sylvia S, Tam Man Ching Michelle, Xinyue Tao and Yulin Huang.
The artworks explored different aspects of migration, including cultural identity, displacement, memory and the search for belonging. Through diverse artistic practices, the exhibition reflected on how individuals carry, transform and reinterpret their cultural experiences while navigating new social and geographical contexts.
The exhibition space became a place for sharing personal stories and encountering different perspectives on identity, movement and cultural exchange.
Poetry & Music Programme
The programme also incorporated poetry and music performances, extending the exploration of migration through spoken language and sound.
Poets Clara Ada Mantegazza, Nicole Zaninovich, Elida Silvey and Stephanie Ritzema presented works responding to themes of identity, memory and personal experience.
Musician Hannah Koegler contributed a live musical element to the programme, adding another sensory dimension to the exploration of belonging and cultural connection.
Through the combination of visual art, food, poetry and music, Dust and Shapes created a multi-sensory environment that encouraged audiences to engage with migration as both a personal experience and a collective human condition.
