Among the many ways a community can express itself, food is one of the most accessible, down-to-earth and universal. However, it is also deeply personal – no two people have the exact same experience with food, and every person has a different relationship to the kitchen.
This inspired Silas Fong Sum-yu to create “SAD Kitchen: Oi! Guide – A Comfort Food Journey”, an interactive exhibition that is part of his artist residency at Oi!, a government-owned art space in North Point.
SAD stands for School of Artists Development, Fong’s ongoing conceptual project which responds to his inquiries into arts- and education-related topics through installations, videos and publications.
The focus on comfort food is not so much on the food itself, but the concept of it.
“There’s no Chinese translation for the English term ‘comfort food’,” says Fong, who began to ponder what different people do when they seek comfort as he explored the journey of comfort food from the processes of cooking to sharing.
Cancer had him questioning his legacy – he’s found the answer in art
Cancer had him questioning his legacy – he’s found the answer in art
While in isolation during the pandemic, he asked other artists and people around him to share their comfort food recipes, prepared the dishes and “dined” with others in separate locations with the help of social media.
This is depicted in a video installation above a kitchen counter at the exhibition. Fong tells the Post: “In the process, I felt less alone as I focused on the recipe owners’ personal stories as shown in the video’s subtitles, realising that we all experience sadness similarly.”
“A Comfort Food Journey” is divided into three sections: wash, cook and eat – the progression of meal preparation. Visitors are not only allowed, but encouraged, to touch everything in the interactive exhibition.
Some of the kitchen parts are real – such as the fridge, which is plugged in and fully functioning; the bread and vegetables on the kitchen counter and the sausage, bell pepper and slice of cake on the dining table, however, are not.
3D-printed appliances, utensils and other random household items scattered across the exhibition’s three main zones hide a game full of Easter eggs.
As a light parody of the MBTI test, a psychometric questionnaire, and similar online personality quizzes, Fong created a “Comfort Food Psychological Test”. At the circular reception in the centre of the exhibition, visitors are offered a multiple-choice answer sheet reminiscent of public exam papers, which the artist hopes will trigger nostalgia in those who grew up in Hong Kong.
Many of the 30 questions – hidden away in the kitchen sink and underneath rice cookers and kettles – refer to dining practices specific to Hong Kong, such as “If you’re cooking rice but not sure how many people will be eating, what would you do?”; “How much sugar do you add when you make milk tea at home?”; and, “What kind of company do you prefer during a meal?” (choose between TV, people, computer, video call and none).
After answering as many questions as possible, visitors can calculate their score and pass the sheet to the “comfort food specialist”, who will present the quiz result in the form of a card with a food illustration.
Fong calls this a “Comfort Food Guide”, featuring food recommendations for the neighbourhood around Oil Street, from cucumber espresso to seasonal gelato made with local produce and gourmet slow-cooked soup and black sesame rolls, an old-school Hong Kong dessert.
The solo visitor who wants company for their North Point adventure can ask for a “food companion”, but the service is only available in designated time slots.
Visitors are also invited to write down their own recipes, from ingredients to methods, on the “comfort food sharing” sheet, which does not have to be exclusive to food. The chosen responses will be posted on the “SAD Kitchen Comfort Food Share Board”.
“SAD Kitchen: Oi! Guide – A Comfort Food Journey”. Oi! Warehouse 2, Oil Street Art Space, 12 Oil Street, North Point. September 1 to January 7, 2024. Monday 2pm to 8pm; Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 8pm.