THE ARCHIVE OF MODERN CONFLICT
ANYTHING THAT WALKS
VERNACULAR FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY FROM CHINA
CURATED BY RUBEN LUNDGREN AND TIMOTHY PRUS
The diversity and richness of the Chinese cuisine have been a fascination for both Chinese and foreigners alike. In China, anything that walks, swims, crawls, or flies with its back to heaven seems edible. Over the last couple of decades the country’s obsession with food created an inspiring track of anonymous photographs and photo albums. From black and white pictures of birthday cakes in the 1960s to a great wall of ham in the 1990s. It is easily forgotten how difficult and labor-intensive it used to be to present one’s ideas in a photographic way. Prints were made in a smelly darkroom, sometimes hand-colored and finally cut and pasted into albums. The process itself invited you to be creative.
Anything that walks brings together a disparate and eclectic collection of vernacular photography of Chinese food. Most materials are distracted from the extensive collection of the Archive of Modern Conflict sourced by Thomas Sauvin and Ruben Lundgren over the last 8 years. It playfully explores and celebrates the role of food within Chinese contemporary history in a visual explosion of photographs.
Recipes from the Great Hall of the People, set of loose cards in enveloppe, 1980s. Courtesy of The Archive of Modern Conflict
Great Wall made out of ham, colour photograph, 1990s. Courtesy of The Archive of Modern Conflict
Fish gasping for air, colour photograph, 1990s. Courtesy of The Archive of Modern Conflict
Wild goose. Frozen game, loose set of cards in enveloppe, 1980s. Courtesy of The Archive of Modern Conflict
Different types of peaches, colour photographs, 1990s. Courtesy of The Archive of Modern Conflict
Study of vegetables, hand coloured photographs on cardboard, 1980s. Courtesy of The Archive of Modern Conflict