Achar croissant
Auteurs / Authors : Ben Metcalfe
Description : Vente de croissant fourré à l’Achar dans Verwey St.
Axes de recherche / Research axes (Play/Urban) : Theatricality / performance, Game / Play, Generate audiences
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
In situ (may include different times > time 1, time 2, time 3, etc..)/ peut inclure différentes étapes > Temps 1, Temps 2,Temps 3, etc..
Medium : Table, croissant, Achar (condiment pimenté) , écriteau
Genre : performance
Concept : Vente d’un met culinaire rassemblant deux aliments chacun emblématiques de la France et de l’Afrique du Sud.
Participants : Ben, Passant de Verwey St.
Durée / Duration : 20 minutes
Ville / City : Joburg
Questions : Comment créer un objet singulier et significatif en utilisant des symboles? utiliser les clichés nationaux.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Exhibit
Medium : Table, croissant,assiette, mégaphone
Genre : performance
Concept : Changer le statut d’un simple objet: le faire basculer entre un plat et un représentant national.
Participants : Visiteurs de l’expo et Ben
Durée / Duration : 1h
Ville / City : Vansa, Joburg
Date : 19 th september 2012
Questions : comment provoquer une situation absurde qui se joue des clichés nationaux?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Analyse critique / Critical analysis :
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Protocoles (collectif) d’action / (collective) Action protocols : 1/ vendre un croissant-Achar aux passants de Verwey 2/exprimer la pensée d’un croissant dans un mégaphone avant de l’offrir à un visiteur.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
by Ben Metcalfe • 20 September 2012
“I have been selling a dish on the street which amalgamates two food stuffs from different cultural processes. Achar, a relative of chakalaka, is a spicy condiment eaten with bread or meat and most often made with green mangoes and comman locally. A croissant is pastry and a great source of French pride if made correctly, served with various condiments but fine on its own.
The dish I sold for five rand on the street is achar in a croissant, which combines both local and foreign cultural spheres unexpectedly for consumption by the general populace passing by outside VANSA in New Dornfontein. It is my opinion that it tastes quite nice, others have thought so too. But the combination is subject to general reproach. I set up a stand that is similar to that of many found in this city.
South Africans are often in confusion as to what a croissant is. I have heard it called a pie, a scone, bread, and various other things attempting to define this strange thing. The French do not know what achar is, and have a tendency to distrust it. Also, in selling there was the occasional request for only the trusted of the two food stuffs. Eventually I has giving out spoonfuls of achar for two rand if the customer had somewhere to put it. But there was a general acceptance of the food offered.
For the Friday exhibition there will be slightly different set-up. An achar croissant will be offered to a participant, but a more direct dialogue will be set up through a microphone to a speaker. I will act as an intermediary between the croissant and the participant. After this fairly absurd dialogue is completed the participant will be able to take the croissant away as a meal.”