texts

MAGMAONTHEMOUNTAIN
İSTANBUL MODERN
PERFORMATIVE DINNER: DINNER WITH SPOONS
AS AN INTERVIEW BETWEEN :MENTALKLINIK AND CHEF İSKENDER EROCAK APRIL 1ST, 2013
 

Using different disciplines as a playground, :mentalKLINIK creates a new trans-disciplinary language of art and new dialogues. The artist duo strategically examine the concepts of show business and of time in their performances. Familiar experiences pull the audience into a fictional environment under cinematic lights.

MAGMAONTHEMOUNTAIN that examines banqueting, food culture and the socializing that takes place around it was realized in Istanbul Modern as an experience private to 50 people. These tastes that were recommended to be eaten by 5 different spoons were relayed by means of adjectives
and concepts under the headings of ‘color, texture, smell, sound, style and feeling’ defined by :mentalKLINIK to the chef İskender Erocak. A dialogue was created in which the Chef elaborated his approach to food in reply to the vocabularies designed as a question.

The ritual of the banquet was realized as a real-time performance around a motorcycle helmet and pieces of candle amassed on the table like absurd rock pieces and under cinematic lights like a scene from Luis Buñuel’’s film ‘The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie’, accompanied by music prepared particularly for the night.

Atmosphere_Ultra Light
Taste: Bittersweet, Fragrant Colour: Pastel/Pale: Bluish/Pinkish/Yellowish, Structure: Fondant, Spumy
Feeling: Airy Sound: Whispering, Gentle Style: Cloudy, Delightful

Space_Light
Taste: Perfumed, Unsalted, Colour: Black With Gold Glitters, Structure: Jelly, Smooth, Glazed
Feeling: Wet Sound: Jingling, Juicy, Style: Sparkling, Charming, Cool

Sea_Medium
Taste: Briny, Sour Colour: Vernal Colours Structure: Crispy, Explosive
Feeling: Fresh, Edgy Sound: Crisp, Grainy Style: Excited, Lively, Rich

Earth_Heavy
Taste: Savory, Smoky, Peppery, Fiery Colour: Darker, Deeper, Fall Colours
Structure: Woody, Fleshy Feeling: Robust, Lusty Sound: Plummy, Rotund, Deep
Style: Powerful, Brave, Outstanding

Heaven_Surprise
Taste: Caramelize, Colour: Bright, Flashy with Gold Leaves
Structure: Slippery Feeling: Crazy Sound: Plop Style: Funky

Hosted by İstanbul Modern & Galerist
Thanks to Levent Çalıkoğlu