Eating together connects people.
On June 12, 2026, about 20 participants came together in the Kunsthalle Bielefeld and the Café Gemach Manhattan to experience exactly that. The focus was on the question: What dishes do we associate with home – and what stories do they tell?
The evening began with a short tour of the exhibition in the Kunsthalle Bielefeld. The exhibition dealt with the question of how knowledge, experiences and cultural practices can be collected, passed on and reinterpreted.
The focus was on the idea of a common ‘store’ (‘cache’) in which things – such as objects, stories or even recipes – are deposited and taken up again by others. It was not only about art in the classical sense, but also about everyday culture and shared experiences.
“The exhibition tour could have been a little longer – I would have liked to hear and learn more”.
Thus, the exhibition formed a bridge to the next evening: Even when eating together, knowledge, memories and perspectives were exchanged and passed on.
Then it became practical: Members of the IBZ house groups shared homemade food from Senegal and The Gambia. While eating together, conversations about ingredients, spices and memories arose.
The participants also found it exciting that so-called Nems (similar to spring rolls) originally come from Vietnam and thus do not belong to the traditional dishes of Senegal or Gambia. However, through historical connections during the French colonial period, they found their way to West Africa. Especially in Senegal, Nems are very common today and an integral part of many family celebrations, festivals and gastronomic offers.
“I did not know that Senegalese finger food is similar to Asian food. You can see that other spices are used.It was a “delicious” exchange.’
The atmosphere was open and characterised by mutual interest – in the food and the stories behind it.
“I have never been to the Kunsthalle and I was very happy to go with a nice group.”
The evening showed: Food can be a starting point for encounters – Low-threshold, close to everyday life and connecting.
