'Artist Lunch Box' is a participatory project that connects 25 London-based artists with 25 students at the Academy of Fine Art Vienna, through a workshop where they collaboratively created a group of lunch boxes. The former group prepared the lunch boxes, while the latter was set to receive them.
The project begins by calling artists who are currently living, working, or studying in London to submit lunch boxes filled with materials related to their artistic processes instead of conventional food items. Following the collection phase, around 20-30 lunch boxes are carefully packed into a travel suitcase. This suitcase, accompanied by the curator, will carry the responsibility for the entire journey of these lunch boxes. This transportation facilitates the setup of a making workshop in the Academy of Fine Art Vienna main building during their Rundgang exhibition. The participants from the Academy register the workshop via an open call as well.
25 lunch boxes are collected from 25 London-based artists, packed together into a 28’’ travel suitcase
During the workshop, each lunch box is randomly distributed to an individual participant, who then gathers at the communal “dining table” or “making table.” Essential tools, such as art supplies and materials, are provided for the ensuing creative activity. With the lunch box on hand, each participant is encouraged to "enjoy" the lunch box made by a total stranger—not through consumption, but by repurposing, remaking, and reimagining the objects within. Within the given tools, supplies, and timeframe, individuals have the freedom to use ANY available method and recourse(even beyond the dining table) to engage in any making/unmaking activities during the workshop.
The only stipulation is that the finished artwork must be packed with/in its original lunch box for transport back to London with Catherine. All the artwork and lunch boxes will be showcased at the Austrian Cultural Forum London (ACF) as part of the June-July exhibition. The display will be curated to complement other exhibits and public events at ACF. All participants from London and Austria will be duly acknowledged as authors.
The idea of putting work in a single lunch box is to reflect what “being portable” means to art creation nowadays; it comes with the idea that art is not confined to a static location. The accessible and flexible lunch box suggests that the artwork can be moved or displayed in various spaces without significant difficulty. This flexibility challenges the fixed, exclusive art environment, suggesting another way of inclusive engagement across different settings and communities.
The takeaway of this interactive process extends beyond the physical artworks produced; it is an experiment to unveil and expand the realm of creative possibilities, construct intercultural communication between London and Vienna's artistic communities, and reconstruct the narrative of this translocal collaboration. Through this shared exploration, together we might be able to reinforce the practice of caring and carrying, of interpreting and inheriting what we find, what we feel and what we have made.
A..rtist Lunch Box Workshop
The workshop took place at Room M20, building Schillerplatz 3 of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, on Friday 19th January.
Around 20 people attended, including some walk-ins. Some others who had registered were unable to come due to everyone’s busy schedules during the Rundgang. However, thanks to one student who was eager to help, she managed to deliver the 5 remaining lunchboxes to anyone she thought might be interested.
Eventually, all the lunch boxes were in good hands. She used her favourite carrier bag—a baklava plastic bag—to deliver these boxes. She gave the bag to me afterward, and now it will also be showcased in the exhibition.
People were allowed to take the lunchbox away and continue working even after the workshop ended. After two days, everyone returned the lunchbox and the finished work to me before my flight to London. I was amazed by the dedication of the artists. The works are very heavy for me, both spiritually and physically—they have added 10 kg more to the original luggage.
Witnessing all the connections and coincidences between the lunchbox recipient and the lunchbox giver, I realise there is never a limitation on how much the tiny box can carry and there is never an ending of the story. The connections just happened naturally and it will continually happen over and over again.
This artist is one of the walk-in participants who was requested to remain anonymous due to his considerably greater fame compared to anyone else in this group. Then he used a receipt number, which was found by him inside his lunch box, as a pseudonym.