Visitors discovered a strange and unfamiliar world, surrounded by stimulants such as herbs, spices and textures as well as sound recordings from the locale and other countries. Taking them on a journey into this landscape and their imagination, Double Vision evoked myths, folk tales and fairy stories from around the world which articulate our complex relationship to food and the senses.
Gayle gathered oral histories of people’s travels to the area, people’s memories of fairy stories and folk tales of their childhood connected with food and the senses, as well as recipes and significant dishes, all of which shaped the physical environment in which visitors were subjected to new sensory experiences. A striking cross-section revealing the heart of this mythical world was displayed to passers-by, designed to intrigue and invite participation.
In preparation for the exhibition, Gayle worked with students from Harris Academy in Peckham. The students considered the recipes and ingredients that they felt best evoked their locality and, using photographs of these elements, they produced collages which acted as publicity for the exhibition locally. They also contributed sound recordings of recipes, dishes and personally significant journeys, which featured in the installation.
Gayle Chong Kwan said: “I am interested in the ways in which the non-visual senses are often neglected in the recounting of history, so I am excited about this opportunity to bring these personal stories of past experiences to life as a tangible, three-dimensional landscape.”
