Cultures & Ferments

1999

A collaborative project with 5 Bakers at "Poilane Bakery" in Paris, France.

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Top, left to right: Vicente Tarrega (Spain), Felix Ferrera (Portugal), Marcel Cable (France), and
Percy Valdez (Peru).

Bottom, left to right: Patrick Dionisio (Greece), Pat Badani (Canada, Argentina, Italy)

Vicente, Felix, Marcel, Percy, Partick and myself spent three years producing bread-bowls at Poilane Bakery. I have used the bread-bowls in a number of ways in several projects dealing with urban culture between 1994 and 2001.

 In “Cultures & Ferments”, I use a bakery shop to map the work-space of foreigners in the urban environment.

I produced the piece in conjunction with immigrant bakers from Spain, Portugal, Peru and Greece. Five bakers and myself, carved slices from sculptures reminiscent of leavened bread-dough that each had made. These gestures resonate by suggesting the social space immigrants produce in a new homeland, through work.

The project brings to mind Julia Kristeva's claims: "Immigrants, hence workers. (...) The foreigner still considers work as a value. A vital necessity, to be sure, his sole means of survival, on which he does not necessarily place a halo of glory but simply claims as a primary right, the zero degree of dignity. (...) a universally tried and tested stock for the wanderer's use." (Strangers to Ourselves)

 

 

Materials: baked bread dough and synthetic foam (digitally enhanced Prints)


Projects 2006 - 1999
-New Media Projects
-Where Life is Better
-Housebroken
Projects 1999 - 1997
-Cultures & Ferments
-Borderlines
-Tower-Tour
Projects 1997 - 1993
-Géographiques
-R'èvolution des Particules
-Photo/Drawing
Professional Information
-Biographic Note
-C.V.
-Statement / Texts
e-mail: pbadani@ilstu.edu


all images © Pat Badani 1990-2006