on conversation - agreeing to cook the world together

image by Theodore Zeldin

Sophie Munns

The text above is by eminent thinker Theodore Zeldin who has been an inspiration for some years now after reading his seminal 'Intimate history of humanity' and 'Conversations' which was published following his BBC4 lectures on conversation. I tracked him to a philanthropic foundation he launched - 'the Oxford Muse' - some time later and have at times worked directly with his ideas like  conversation dinners and text in art work.

In 2008 I had the time to rethink completely where I was going in my Art Practice and I wrote to the Oxford Muse foundation in the UK and exchanged emails for a time with one of the staff there. I was looking into how I might engage further with the conversation dinner idea I had experimented with partly pursuing my own interests and then discovering the Muse model for this form of innovative social collaboration. One day Kim at OM said "Theodore wants to phone you to speak personally - when will you be home?"

He rang me that week and talked for over half an hour - by far the most dense conversation of my life in its sweep and profundity and searching questions. I made notes - thankfully! And I sat on that exchange for a long time after pondering how I might activate some of the ideas he prompted me to consider. Maybe I find myself mentioning this tonight because there is perhaps an opportunity coming up that will allow space for such possibilities as he spoke of to come into play. I'm realising this as I write.  More soon on that... 

To read more click Muse Ideas. Some years ago i watched a webcast of a 2 hour talk he gave at the Tate Modern. Muse ideas will take you to similar links. There you will also see at this website Zeldin's own art work that frequently accompanies the text for the Oxford Muse.

The following images are employing text from his book Conversation that I wanted to consider more fully.

*click on the artworks to enlarge if you wish to be able to read the text

these 2 pages below actually join up

Today I have had some amazing conversations and communications through the blog, via email and over the phone... many more memorable and enriching ones than I usually have in one day. Plans being made, ideas being exchanged and thoughts being shared... when communications flow and understanding and cooperation is increased the world is indeed a brighter place!

And thats something to be extremely thankful for!!

seedpod conversation dinner project

This is the front and back of the A4 sized card placed on the table for participants at the recently held trial night for a new project I am hoping to conduct here in brisbane. I have run similar events before, and over many years have made it a regular thing to bring people together who may not have met before for dinner at my table, where-ever I have been living at the time.

There have been numerous reasons for creating such a tradition...in part the fact I have relocated at times and wanted to foster new connections has been significant. But more than that, I think all of us have something to gain from being included in new conversations and the sharing of food and conviviality. Added to this is a deep love of shopping at markets, finding good produce and interesting tastes and exploring cuisines that celebrate seasonal produce.

As an artist many long solo hours have been dedicated to my studio and therefore the need to create occasions to enjoy with others is a priority. Cooking is a very creative endeavour in itself and with a social role. The cross-pollination that can occur at the table

also feeds wonderfully back into the studio...enriching the sense of connectedness to what is happening for others.

This is also a time for thinking hard about the future of food...not taking for granted thesource of our food and its ongoing availability and quality. Climate, water, soil, seeds are such critical political issues and these dinners will serve simultaneously as a celebration of food and focus on important related matters.

 The actual conversation menu has been in large part inspired by www.oxfordmuse.com, particularly the extraordinary thinker Theodore Zeldin who founded this philanthropic organisation in Oxford in the late 1990's. He has written extensively over his long academic career, in more recent years exploring the profound importance, as he sees it, of real conversation between people of all different backgrounds, life experiences and opportunities. Social justice underpins this work, as does a strong sense of what he believes is possible when there is an increase of cooperation and ideas and opportunities fostered by true and mutual human exchange. It is definitely a view worth considering...and this project is Sophie's attempt to find a local and convivial way to further explore the various ideas mentioned. One can spend a saturday evening at home watching The Bill or relaxing  (which is no doubt life-restoring at times ) ...but here is an idea that offers the creativity of good food, company, a rare opportunity for meeting at the table in a unique exchange...and who knows what new seeds will be planted!