Editor’s Note: This event has been postponed due to COVID-19.
Chef Ray Anthony Barrett (photo by Mike Villa)
In November of 1974, New York experimental art space the Kitchen hosted an evening of food and performance called Soup & Tart. The event was organized by artist Jean Dupuy and featured short performances from “a dizzying range of performers and performance artists,” as John Rockwell wrote in the New York Times, paired with a hearty meal of “soup, bread, wine and apple tarts.” Laurie Anderson performed a violin piece; sculptor Richard Serra played a recorded memory of his childhood; Hannah Wilke recreated Victorian erotic tableaux; anarchitect Gordon Matta-Clark cut a cake in the shape of a house (Matta-Clark had started his own artist-run restaurant FOOD three years earlier). Phillip Glass, Arthur Russell, Nam Jun Paik, and Joan Jonas were among the 37 acts that performed. “[T]he idea is above all to entertain, however artfully,” noted Rockwell.
Forty-five years later, nonprofit cultural organization Active Cultures — which was founded last year with the mission of celebrating the intersection of food and art — is reimagining Soup & Tart with a roster of contemporary artists and chefs. They’ve pegged Sarah Cooper, Public Programs Specialist at the Getty, to curate a diverse lineup of over 50 artists, musicians, and performers, each presenting a two-minute piece. Participants include: Adee Roberson, Carolyn Pennypacker Riggs, Barnett Cohen, Jennifer West, David Horvitz, and many more. Complementing the performances will be food prepared by Kwang Uh and Mina Park (Baroo), Minh Phan (Porridge + Puffs), Ray Anthony Barrett (Cinqué), Leif Hedendal (Chez Panisse, Noma), Lisa Giffen (Audrey at the Hammer Museum), and Roxana Jullapat (Friends and Family). Registration and tickets are required, with all proceeds going to participating artists and chefs.
When: Saturday, March 14, 4pm–9pm (tickets: $20)
Where: Werkartz (1200 Wall Street, Downtown, Los Angeles)
More info at Active Cultures.
