The Act of Eating

Instant Café Theatre's CHAI House has been a hotbed of activity since it opened in August. Running under month-long themes, the space has been hosting theatrical readings, talks, even guided walking tours around KL.

So what's up next? Food!

"Food has always been a big part of my life; my family's in the restaurant business," said artist Sharon Chin, the mastermind of this January-to-February makan session.

"I'm thinking about food as more than stuff you put in your mouth. It's basically consumption on all levels - whether its beauty, art, trash or prawn mee."

The choice of topic is, in part, an outreach strategy. "If there's one thing Malaysians understand on a universal level, its food," Chin affirmed. A perfect framework for artists to create works that mass audiences can relate to.

While January will feature talks and workshops on performance art (the chosen medium for this theme), beginning February, CHAI will be organising public performances in a restaurant.

"I want the restaurant to continue normal operation, while we perform, depending on discussions with the venue owner," Chin said. "It'll be a delicious challenge to both artists and audiences. Being stuck in galleries has stunted our ability to generate new ways of communicating. It's time we tested new ground."

Visit Instant Cafe Theatre's website for more details.

Text Zedeck Siew