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Commensality_2021

Commensality [ kä men salətē ] _noun The positive social interactions that are associated with people eating together.
With millions of restaurants and pubs closed down and social distancing practiced across the country, sharing food with family and friends at the same table has become a luxury. However, this doesn’t stop people from seeking new ways of commensality. Whether it is placing dividers at restaurant tables, live stream eating, or partying on zoom, the need for mealtime interaction, connection, and companionship remains unchanged.
This generative cutlery set was created with the help of 56 participants via virtual gathering and physical mailing during the second lockdown of Shijiazhuang city in China, capturing the collective dining experience in a time where digital socialization has become the new normal.

Shijiazhuang, China, 2021.

Cutlery Set Front View: 3d rendered image
Cutlery Set Back View: 3d rendered image
Input Dataset Samples
GAN Generated Image

Credits

This project is made possible with the generous help of 56 participants, below is a list of participants who opt to share their names:
Aiying Wang, Ben Ang, Emma Wang, Jing Cao, Hao Hong, Huizhong Xue, Liying Chen, Ning Liu, Shan Liu, Xiaocong Zhou, Xiaoming Ren, Xiaoyi Lin, Xueling Huang, Ying Wang, Yiru Fan, Yiyan Fan, Yiyun He, Yuxin Bai. 

Award
Artwork Commensality 2021 was shortlisted for the Cutlers’s Company Contemporary Cutlery Competition, 03/2021.