To 'Rewild'

In 2021, Kevin Jones commissioned me to write about the world views of artists whose practices intersected with food for alserkal.online. I interviewed Salma Serry (Sufra Kitchen), Moza Al Matrooshi, Aya Shaban (Namliyeh) and Manal Abu Shmais (Namliyeh) about their approaches to land, nationhood, and colonisation through the lens of food.

Additionally, they provided me with recipes for summer coolers, which were served at various events in Alserkal Avenue, and whenever possible, they hosted workshops exploring fictional writing and memory. 

The culinary/art landscape is growing, signposting new practices and research in the fields of food, landscape and writing. This inspired me to create a residency-like programme, which led to an open call with the Alserkal Arts Foundation. Announced in March 2023, we on-boarded 15 participants. In my search for suitable collaborators to take up residence with me in the Alserkal Arts Foundation kitchen, I intentionally selected a cohort who came from diverse yet complementary backgrounds: professional chefs, practising artists, writers, and performers.

My methodology included finding ways in which the kitchen could become a space of production, experiments, and conversations; a site that would eventually transform itself into our home. The comfort and ease with which we were able to gather together—often chaotic and very warm—became invaluable. I donated my personal pantry and kitchen tools, which in themselves are an amalgamation of travels, precious ingredients, and equipment that have supported my practice. I also loaned my personal library of cookbooks, artists’ books, and zines to support and inspire the cohort. The Foundation allowed me and my family of kitchenware and books to settle into the space.

I invited long-time collaborators to host sessions that combined writing, cooking, performance, and reflective discussions. The hosts were Moza Almatrooshi, The Alchemy of Dyeing, Dulce De Mirchi, Andrew Riad and Sondos Azzam. Each brought sensitivity, play and criticality into the space. Each session was punctuated by mentorship and experimental writing prompts led by Kevin Jones, who brought out another layer of collectivity within the cohort—listening to each other’s intimate pieces of writing. We further organised an excursion to the Sharjah Biennial, and film screenings that expanded themes of food, ecology, poetry, and more. We also left room for the cohort to self-organise, collaborate, and support one another.

Every session concluded with a meal, either supplied from our own personal kitchens, or impromptu dishes we created on the spot. 

More deeply, Rewilding the Kitchen prompted the cohort to unlearn concepts of nostalgia, romanticising food, or the trap that as chefs we often find ourselves in. We work so hard to preserve our cultures through the lenses of singular nationhood loyalty, and we often neglect the self in this process. I have found that we are very ready to speak about, for example, our grandmothers’ recipes as noble legacies, yet bypass what her circumstances in making this dish were. Our relationship with food and memory is complex, and the more difficult conversations around addiction, grief, socio-economic circumstances and how our own emotions translate into food alchemically, are difficult subjects to broach. I prioritised creating a safe space, threading these vulnerable subjects into conversations, writing prompts, and cooking in ways that set everyone free.

Every session brought participants closer to this sense of self, unhinging and unravelling a collection of personal projects that are multidisciplinary and sensorial, and pivotal steps in their practices. 

It has been evident and delightful to be surprised by how the learnings in the sessions spilled into into menus, texts, and flavours—whether by presenting a sesame oil that is salted and painted onto bread,  or an edible soil holding caramelised seasonal fruits, a traditional rice dish shaped into singular morsels, amplified kitchen bangs and crackles, and choreographed mundanity. 

The booklet reads like a scrapbook of writing, images, and recipes that are only a morsel of the generous outcomes produced throughout Rewilding the Kitchen. You are invited to try out these recipes, read the essays, and consider your ways of rewilding your kitchen."

Alserkal Arts Foundation Team

Nada Raza 

Diane Mehanna
Kevin Jones

Athija Alserkal

Mariam Abdellatif

Shama Nair

Natasha Wanigaratne

Laura Navarro

Nikoo Ghazvini

Design Team

Sandy Zavzavadjian

Rabila Kidwai

Marketing Team

Rahul Menon

Neha Khandwani

Nikhil Roy

Antonia Hodges

Mridula Muraleedharan

Dhils Paul

Bestin John

Muhammad Inam Afrin

Emelyn Dador

Stephen Kigoye

Rajesh Nair

Kumar Damodaran Nair

Syed Makhdoom

Hassan Hamisi Mbiru

Judith Montes

Nicoline Achu Shiri

Photography and Documentation

Seeing Things

Daryll Borja

Nino Consorte

The Kitchen Hosts

Nahla Tabbaa

Moza Almatrooshi

Andrew Riad

Sondos Azzam

Dulce De Mirchi

The Alchemy of Dyeing

Kevin Jones

Culinary and Production Support

Chef Dalia Arja

Chef Nadeem Khan

Punam Luhar