N E X T . 〉

Taste of Hands (손맛) Circular Kimchi Buffet

2010 ‧ Art Festival in Seoul

  • Locavore installation ‧ eating design ‧ handmaking values ‧ circular socio-materiality

Commissioned by Doshirak+ Food Drawing Café at 2010 Seoul Art Festival in collaboration with MeeWha Lee, HeeYoung Kim, SooYoon Kim, SoYoung Hyun, YoonJi Lee, SanKyung Han, Juuri Jeong, HyeRyeon Jang, SeMi Cho, EunMi Cho, YeSeul Moon, Csue Moon, SeokHyo Eun, YaeJee Yoo, JunYoung Ji, Unah Lee, and HyeongSun Jang.

Buffet guests selected kimchi by the depictions of the pairs of hands that crafted it—rather than by the food’s properties. In kimchi fermentation, hands are primary means of production (washing, peeling, chopping, marinating, collating). These microbial human/vegetable exchanges formulate the final taste. Ten kimchi-crafting ladies at Sindang and Seoksu market had their palm photos taken, so that consumers of their kimchi could better appreciate its Taste of Hands. Guests wrote personal napkin notes to kimchi makers which surprised them when unexpectedly delivered.

Taste of Hands
Buffet where eaters choose kimchi by the maker's hands rather than variety.
'Taste of hands' (손맛) refers in Korean to the person behind handmade foods.
Six types of kimchi with the hands of its artisan.
MeeWha Lee asks kimchi makers to provide their goods and palms.
Eaters picked kimchi as topping on lettuce-garnished toast.
The hand-directed assembly of kimchi toast.
Eaters were asked to write feedback to kimchi artisans on the napkin.
The feedback messages were delivered to kimchi artisans post-event.
Growing Fence
Which hands look most tastefully and why?
Growing Fence
Most kimchi makers were proud to have their palms photographed.
Growing Fence
Eaters wrote their reasons for choosing the particular pair of hands.