“Going home for dinner” is a familiar saying used in many contexts, not only expressing an invitation and admonition, but also a message with full of concern from family members. In Vietnamese culture, having meal together is very important. The kitchen or dining table is a place where conversations, sharing, confiding and interactions of family members take place every day. For that reason, home meals at home not only preserve warm memories, help connect and heal emotions, but they are also the place where we tell daily stories and where conflicts caused by disagreements between generations occur.
Home meals are full of flavors through the eyes of young people. Photo: Hai Anh
Within the framework of the United Nations’ International Youth Day 2022 with the theme of “dialogue between generations and how to make people more connected”, the exhibition “Going home for dinner” organized by the Education, Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO) in Vietnam in collaboration with the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, exploring the topic of “home meals” through the eyes of young people.
Nearly 30 works of young people are shown through various materials. “Going home for dinner” is not only an exhibition about food but more than that, it is also an exhibition about the stories and interactions behind the dishes. Therefore, it is full of bitter, spicy, sweet, and fleshy flavors along with many nuances of joy, sadness, and nostalgia.
The exhibition space of lovely pictures about home meals.
Young people not only come to enjoy the exhibition, but also share their own feelings about home meals. Photo: Phuong Linh
Exhibition organizer Giang Kawako shared that “We hope that your presence in this space will be an opportunity for us to see the role of “home meals”. Having meals at home seems to be a simple task but it is also a chance to connect and understand better the people who sit at the same table or eat the same food with us. We also hope that after this experience, you will be inspired to think more about your family and don’t forget to “go home for dinner”.
The exhibition “Going home for dinner” is open until August 18, 2022, at the 22 Hang Buom Cultural and Art Center (Hoan Kiem, Hanoi).
V.H