One is struck, on entering Bev Moon's exhibition Fortune, at the Hocken Gallery, by an abundance … of delicious food. The centrepiece of the main room is a yum cha banquet. Steamed bok choy, dumplings, spring rolls and rice rest on blue and white crockery, familiar to anybody who has ever eaten at a diasporic Chinese restaurant. There are chopsticks and spoons.
My companions wonder if the teapots are full. Despite being under glass—we are in a gallery after all—the feast loses none of its vitality. Partly, this is due to the rotating lazy Susan on which some of the food sits, and a pair of lucky ‘waving cats’ positioned in one corner. These moving objects—no doubt—are also familiar; characteristic of yum cha dining.
On closer inspection, one notices that the food…
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Art New Zealand (Digital) - 1 Issue, Summer 2023-2024