My dinners are built on assumptions.
I assume food and the dinner table can serve as a universal connector, but food can also divide. Dietary restrictions, previous associations with venues, and cultural symbols can become barriers to connection.
Though I might assume that conversation can establish rapport among strangers, conversation can just as easily reinforce differences and silence less confident voices.
I assume carefully curated settings can inspire awe and that with the right planning, a dinner can become a magical, transformative experience. But what if dinner is simply eaten, guests leave, and nothing else occurs? What if conversations remain surface-level? What if nothing changes?
Of course, I am aware of my role as the host. As an artist, I can set out to frame the dinner and encourage dialogue, but what if my presence is a constraint? Boundaries of authorship in participatory art can be challenging to define.
Yet this is the essence of socially engaged art. As many questions as there might be, results are equally uncertain. This raises the real consideration of value. Am I looking to create something that can be measured, or do I want to honor softer shifts: A story shared, the memory of a space, a fleeting glimmer of recognition?
Becoming aware of these challenges means I can work with them, test them, and weave their threads into my work. Instead of limitations, such uncertain factors can deepen experiences and build upon the surprise, complexities, and contradictions so often encountered in created spaces.
