The Real Taste of India
2017
installation with personalized objects
in collaboration with Chinar Shah
Every major city in the world probably has a restaurant called Taste of India. Serving Indian food, these restaurants promise to deliver the essence of India through select menu items, wall hangings and softly audible classical music.
A consumable brand offering India on its plate, these restaurants extend themselves as souvenirs. As markers of experience, they summarise an imagination of India consolidating it as take away ‘naan bread’ or tabletop pictures of Taj Mahal.
Drawing from these restaurants, The Real Taste of India is a commentary on homogenised national identity and the commercialisation of culture.
The Real Taste of India includes:
- A personalised doormat from doormats4u.co.uk
- Commemorative plates featuring restaurant reviews for Taste of India restaurants found on online review and rating websites
- 51 computer generated voices from iVona (Amazon’s commercial text-to-speech service) announcing the phrase ‘Taste of India’ in different national accents
- A slideshow of 50 logos of Taste of India restaurants as found on the Internet
- A printed and framed Wikipedia page of the entry for ‘Taste of India’
- Coupons for free papad at the closest ‘Taste of India’ restaurant
- Takeaway postcards with addresses of different Taste of India restaurants around the world
- Customized acrylic magnets with TripAdvisor ratings of all 278 Taste of India restaurants listed on their website
and other elements currently unproduced
Further Reading:
Taste of India - Leslie Johnson, Temporary Art Review
Naan Sense - Shikha Kumar, Hindustan Times
Feasting on India - Shraddha Uchil, mid-day
at the kitchen table (adjust as per taste) - Arushi Vats, MARCH
2017
installation with personalized objects
in collaboration with Chinar Shah
Every major city in the world probably has a restaurant called Taste of India. Serving Indian food, these restaurants promise to deliver the essence of India through select menu items, wall hangings and softly audible classical music.
A consumable brand offering India on its plate, these restaurants extend themselves as souvenirs. As markers of experience, they summarise an imagination of India consolidating it as take away ‘naan bread’ or tabletop pictures of Taj Mahal.
Drawing from these restaurants, The Real Taste of India is a commentary on homogenised national identity and the commercialisation of culture.
The Real Taste of India includes:
- A personalised doormat from doormats4u.co.uk
- Commemorative plates featuring restaurant reviews for Taste of India restaurants found on online review and rating websites
- 51 computer generated voices from iVona (Amazon’s commercial text-to-speech service) announcing the phrase ‘Taste of India’ in different national accents
- A slideshow of 50 logos of Taste of India restaurants as found on the Internet
- A printed and framed Wikipedia page of the entry for ‘Taste of India’
- Coupons for free papad at the closest ‘Taste of India’ restaurant
- Takeaway postcards with addresses of different Taste of India restaurants around the world
- Customized acrylic magnets with TripAdvisor ratings of all 278 Taste of India restaurants listed on their website
and other elements currently unproduced
Further Reading:
Taste of India - Leslie Johnson, Temporary Art Review
Naan Sense - Shikha Kumar, Hindustan Times
Feasting on India - Shraddha Uchil, mid-day
at the kitchen table (adjust as per taste) - Arushi Vats, MARCH
