Alina Turdean

performance , installatie , Experimenteel , Design , cross-over , Conceptueel , Community

Alina Turdean is a cultural worker, designer and researcher with a background in interior architecture, product, and temporary design. Currently embarking on a quest of integrating food and community in her practice, her main source of inspiration is human interaction and the bonds this creates with the material world. With a voracious appetite to constantly explore the complex relationship between food, community, and its ultimate power to foster connections she looks to provoke meaningful conversations on topics of both personal and social interest, using food as medium and message, by weaving together diverse narratives and bridging gaps between individuals and communities. Drawing inspiration from both personal culinary history and experimentation, she creates immersive experiences that invite participants to engage with food beyond its domestic context, surpassing cultural boundaries and cultivating a sense of shared connection. Aiming to create spaces where stories are exchanged, perspectives are challenged, and bonds are forged. \r\n\r\nThis frequently involves feeding people.

be Nice — **Be Nice** - For 𝗕𝗲 𝗡𝗶𝗰𝗲, exhibition by Manon Malan & Lisa Meijer (with the participation of artists: Romy Bauer and Marie van Haaster ) I developed a food-scape integrated in Manon Malan's work “Ich Sehe Rot Project”. Working from the contrast of delicate/compliance to sharp/anger, I translated the general concept (reflecting on our everlasting heritage of repressed feelings: being nice to avoid conflict, smiling for the sake of pleasing) into a food scape partly inspired by the film Daisies (1966, dir. Vera Ctylova) - a cinematic turning point in gender emancipation that follows two mischievous protagonists challenging every norm through playful misconduct, involving a lot of food as supporting character. From using scissors as eating utensils (sectioning through phallic ingredients such as gherkins, bananas or sausages) to expressing feelings through eggs. And partly inspired by my personal experience as a woman growing up in deeply Orthodox and mainly patriarchal Eastern Europe, where compliance and being nice were key elements to becoming a functional member of society. Combining these elements, I put together a table set-up that starts off as orderly, delicate and neutral and ends in bloody, sharp misconduct. Using taste, texture & ingredients to illustrate the transition from compliance -frustration - anger. Compliance is white, soft, fluffy and accommodating. Neutral, palatable tastes, the softness of butter laced with geranium flowers (a recurring motif in Manon's installation). While frustration is muffled, bitter and unexpected, hidden in delicate form. Anger is spicy, sharp, acidic, splashes over the dinner table, and makes no excuses. Nothing is entirely what it looks like and guests are invited to defy eating etiquette, use their hands, scissors and their imagination to participate. 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱: Business July 2025 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼: Lisa Meijer

**Chaos Supermarket** - Part of Engage Rotterdam, 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗼𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 was a playful food experience exploring big subjects like money, climate, equality, food safety, and alternative ways of food sourcing. Chaos Supermarket was more of a board game where playing with food helped us explore how cooperation can arise around everyday challenges. The table was organized like a food co-op shop. Access to the items on the menu was only possible through your own currency, negotiation or exchange. Participants had to work together to ensure that everything was distributed fairly, following steps that helped create order in the carefully directed culinary chaos. Brunch became a fun conversation celebrating collectivity and discovering what can happen when we don't avoid chaos, but embrace it together. 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱: Engage Rotterdam S/ash Gallery October 2025 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼: Sharon Jane D

**DARK matters** - 𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 was a performative dinner that invited the audience to embark on an exploration of grief. Not to be feared but embraced as a space for reflection and transformation. Marking Spring Equinox, a step out of the dark dormant of winter into the soothing light of spring. A time to embrace contrasts and acknowledge how both shadow and light shape our experiences. I invited guests to immerse themselves in live musical performances, designed as a meditative journey through themes of grief, letting go, renewal, and the cycles of nature. We came together through food and ritual, engaging in playful, collaborative ways that sparked curiosity and conversation. An all-dark menu (with glimpses of light), eaten with your hands, invited guests to listen, taste, feel, and contribute to the unfolding narrative and discover together: What is the sound of darkness? How do we find our way out? What is the taste of sorrow? What is our common denominator when we think of loss? Can we look at this process as an integral part of life, by engaging all of our senses? Is it better or easier if we are together? Sound and music were designed to guide and help everyone better observe this opposition, through a deep, solemn contrast at times balanced by light, ethereal notes. Through this interplay, we reflected on loss, release, and transformation, their presence in life, nature and each other. The integrant performances : TECHNO COMEBACK [performance - vocal, live] Tisa World & Singing Club Rotterdam, NIKOS [music - live], GENYTEN [music - DJ set] 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱: ParadijsKirk March 2025 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁: Popunie 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 by CBK Rotterdam 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼: Leroy Verbeet

**Eat Your Feelings CINEMA** - 𝗘𝗬𝗙 𝗖𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗠𝗔 is a series of performative screenings combining film, food and music that aims to explore from a feminist standpoint provocative subjects and inspire exciting conversations that extend food outside of its domestic context. A diverse selection of movies accompanied by themed snacks are consumed at specific moments throughout the projection, all leading up to an overarching subject of personal or general interest. Opening with an introductory talk and eating instructions, followed by an informal Q&A around drinks, and sharing stories, accompanied by a tailored DJ set by a local musician, symbolically linked to the projection. Situated in conjunction between personal creative pursuit and subjects of social relevance, food offers the perfect opportunity to explore stories, emotions, creativity and social care altogether. 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱: EYF has manifested so far in over 20 events and various iterations, including screenings of experimental shorts with live scores by designated musicians. I collaborated with over 25 artists (Nikos ten Hoedt, BenKult, Kexin Hao, DJ Leroy, Helmond Lang, Blonde Wednesday) and collectives in various venues mainly across Rotterdam (Worm, The Sun, Verciderij, .Zip, Nieuwe Instituut, Studio Pompstraat, Soda Fabriek, etc.) as well as Breda (BUT Film Festival) and Utrecht (Queer in Wonderland x Raum). Collaboration with 𝘑𝘶𝘯𝘦 𝘠𝘶. 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼: Leroy Verbeet

**The People's Canteen. A Post-Communist Dinner Table.** - 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲❜𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻 - 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦. This dinner invited participants to explore their food habits, bringing to their attention topics harder to swallow in a humorous and playful way. Food rationing during communism was restrictive but led to “creative” solutions that transgressed the limit of “eating just for fuel”. With limited access to products, people often resort to inventive methods to put food on the table. So I invited our guests to play along, make exchanges, collaborate and question the way we eat now. Each course was inspired by a staple dish from a post-communist country of personal significance. For this dinner, I collaborated with 𝘍𝘢𝘫𝘯𝘦 - an initiative to bring Polish cuisine and all things around the table to Rotterdam, merging with a fitting Chinese starter by artist & collaborator 𝘑𝘶𝘯𝘦 𝘠𝘶, and a Romanian Funeral dessert. The dinner was accompanied by a screening that contextualised the food exchanges. The movie, 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗴𝗲 (𝟮𝟬𝟬𝟵) I 𝘥𝘪𝘳. 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰 𝘏𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳, 𝘙𝘢̆𝘻𝘷𝘢𝘯 𝘔𝘢̆𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘶, 𝘊𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘔𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘶. was a multi-episode collection of vignettes comically unseating the propagandist myth that Ceaușescu's Romania was the “golden age” of communism, by focusing on day-to-day life under the dictatorship to warm and often hilarious effect that could well stir up strong nostalgia and bewilderment in all the post-communist nations. The music that followed the screening was carefully curated by Psycho Club and helped take us deeper into this experience. 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰: Chirty, Mia 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱: S/lash Gallery, Worm 2023 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼: Leroy Verbeet

**Noord. connecting the dots** - 𝗡𝗼𝗼𝗿𝗱. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝘁𝘀.is a project that started as an exploration of Rotterdam Noord translated into Sound and taste. Connecting the dots of geographical to personal pursuit by mixing field recordings into a carefully constructed soundscape, serving as a complementing backdrop for tasting foraged & locally sourced bites inspired by the local flavor, the project morphed into a culinary reflection on the fragility of human relationships. Putting together a menu based on available & foraged produce, mixed with emotions, drawing inspiration from the neighborhood itself. Tracing a culinary map of places that carry significant personal meaning, this is a small imaginary walk through Rotterdam Noord. Field recordings made during the preparation of this project served as background accompanying our every taste. 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱: during GRAW 2023 at Verfris Studio 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: G. Hiersemann, Werner van der Zwan 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘀: Mar Gimeno Lumbiarres

**Singing With Your Mouthful** - 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗠𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗳𝘂𝗹 is an absurdist performance, led by vocalists and composers TiSiTi (Tara Reece, Ceola Tunstall-Behrens & Tisa World) in collaboration with Singing Club Rotterdam, an anti-choir for all voices. The performance invites the audience to take a seat among the performers and eat, sing, talk and break the rules over three courses of an evening banquet. As the dinner proceeds things get messy physically and sonically. Can you eat while singing? Can you gargle with sound? Can you sit still? Can you uphold dining conventions and etiquette? What happens when you don't? Trying to answer this questions together, food served here as both material and medium, playing an integral part in the vocal performance, serving as an instrument in challenging convention and etiquette, provoking disturbances and carrying messages that supported the narrative.The menu was developed from the premise of food as an instrument, accompanying the performers and contributing to the sound through crunch, squish or crumble. Everything was eaten with bare hands, generously displayed jellos carried messages to be shared, breads were there to mouffle, a vegetable garden added to the crunch, inviting all participants to a playful and an irreverent breach of conduct. 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱: at Worm UBIK during O festival. and Roodkapje during ASMR [Advanced Social Manner Refusal] 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼: Jip Moeken

THE PEOPLE'S CANTEEN. A Post-Communist Dinner table.

Datum: 31-05-2024 t/m 31-05-2024

Locatie: S/ASH GALLERY

In samenwerking met: Worm Rotterdam, Fajne, Psychoclub, June Yu

The People’s Canteen is an invitation to reflect on scarcity and abundance. The dinner invites participants to explore their food habits, bringing to their attention topics harder to digest in a playful way. Food rationing during communism was restrictive but led to “creative”. With limited access to products, people often resorted to inventive methods to put food on the table. We invited participants to play along, collaborate and question the way we eat now.

https://worm.org/production/peoples-canteen-a-post-communist-dinner-table/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3xbjfJx0ROGObix51rZFESXhCsYJG67JHn3Xlf7LCU3bvg_qZulv4rWvs_aem_AeZczcn8Fru0pJ5jGIUGetjB2TRjxOJDBTKRi14B4jSaM7zkWHAcIZokpC_q2C6_dqiQNE37CmVMub5yycwCvOA_

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