King of Table, a 'humor restaurant'

By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Vincenzo Acampora Carratura

Photos Videos = Vincenzo Acampora Carratura

The interest of contemporary art toward food is growing, and many artists are using food as a medium to discuss ideas. This connection between food and art was explored through performances at the Entretempo gallery with the exhibition “The King of Table.”

For “The King of Table,” five artists from different countries -- Korea, Germany and Japan -- were invited to exchange ideas about Korean food culture. The performances and artist talks addressed topics like hyper-consumerism, health crazes and globalization.

The opening act was a performance by artist Kim Byung Chul, a Korean artist who lives in Essen, Germany. He focuses his art practice on the quest for alternative means of exchange or an alternative exchange economy. In his previous works, such as the Performance-Hotel and Performance-Express, a sleeper car or seat ticket on a train could be obtained in exchange for a performance from the public.

Artist Kim Byung Chul performs in Berlin.

In this "humor restaurant," the artist introduces humor as a means of exchange for his Korean food. Visitors can choose a meal from the menu, order it, eat it and then pay for it by telling a joke to make the audience and the artist laugh, or by choosing instead to pay by cash.

As in his previous works, Kim is addressing his search for alternative means of exchange and questioning the monopoly of money. At his humor restaurant, guests can earn a meal in exchange for a comic performance. With these actions, the artist counters the monopoly of money in response to the financial crisis, and offers an alternative medium that connects both artists/ chefs and the public/ customers on a more personal level, exchanging emotions rather than money.

Artist Kim Byung Chul cooks food at the exhibition. 

The menu at the humor restaurant includes gimbap rice rolls, bibimbap mixed rice, japchae noodles with vegetables, bulgogi deopbap beef with rice and some other representative Korean dishes. The atmosphere was positive and many visitors came to the vernissage at the Entretempo gallery and tried their best jokes to entertain the visitors and the artist. It was also a good chance for people who have never tried Korean food before to experience it in a different setting, such as an art performance.

Visitors to the galley have the chance to sample some delicious Korean food. 

“The King of Table” and its performances by different artists initiated a special dialogue between food and art, and between artists and visitors. In the case of the humor restaurant, it showcased, too, another aspect of Korean food  that is also a characteristic of Korean cuisine: the idea of gathering around a table to share food and also to share stories, experiences and laughs.

wisdom117@korea.kr

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