Over April and May, a cohort of selected artists, chefs and writers will participate in a series of workshops as part of Rewilding the Kitchen, an intensive eight-week programme with Alserkal Arts Foundation guest resident Nahla Tabbaa. We are offering spaces for members of the public to audit some of these very special sessions individually. We invite you to join our cohort to explore research, fictional narratives and culinary processes through the lens of food.

Rewilding the Kitchen explores the intersections between art, writing, and the kitchen. To ‘rewild’ is to restore a material or environment to its natural state; participants are invited to embrace the rewilding of shared ingredients and food that are local and available within our daily life and surroundings.

Saturday 8 April | The Fictional Recipe with Moza Almatrooshi | 9:00-11:30pm

A writing and discussion workshop where participants can carry out a number of different exercises to develop text that transports the recipe from being a functional document to a literary piece. The recipes can become manifestos, fiction, diaristic, documentary, etc. These exercises would be framed within the discussion of how instituting practices of care and nourishment can exist for artists, writers, chefs, researchers, and cultural practitioners.

Thursday 13 April | Eating Colour with Nahla Tabbaa (The Alchemy of Dyeing) | 9:00-11:30pm

A demonstrational workshop that explores the different ways food can be disguised and painted through alchemy and natural dyeing. Using herbs, flowers and common pantry ingredients ubiquitous to the spice souk and supermarkets, learn how to further your knowledge of colour extraction, not to just be used on food, but to create inks and dyes for textiles in preparation for the dinner.

Sunday 16 April | Sharjah Biennial Excursion | 11:00am-4:00pm

An excursion to visit a select number of works that look at the culinary, research, table, and botany as expanded forms of art practice. Participants will observe modes of display, sensorial qualities and narratives of the works. This excursion will be led by the education team at Sharjah Art Foundation.

Saturday 29 April | Making Tub Kim Krop with Chef Priyal ‘Dulce de Mirchi’ | 11:00am-3:00pm

A demonstrational workshop that deconstructs the process of making Tub Kim Krop, a traditional Thai dessert integral to Chef Priyal’s childhood spent in Bangkok. Using natural dyes, casting and layering, Chef Priyal will assemble this traditional dessert, show how to make ice cream and infuse pandan milk. Participants will then ponder over how our favourite childhood desserts can continue to carry relevance.

Saturday 6 May | Egyptifying Petit Fours and Preserving Coptic Traditions with Andrew Riad | 11:00am-3:00pm

Part lecture performance, part making, part grieving, Riad and the cohort will look at the colonial legacy of the ‘Petit Four.’ Allowing it to depart from its origins in the French pastry school, and into the homes and hands of his mother, late grandmother and the Coptic church community preparing for Easter celebrations. Together, participants will look at how ingredients, or their absence, can symbolize grief, reclamation and decolonisation.

Spaces are limited. Please note that attendees for individual sessions will be auditing the sessions and are not expected to complete the tasks and participate to the same extent as the programme cohort.

For any questions, please reach out to info@alserkalartsfoundation.ae