My Exhibition, Goa: Celebrating The Cuisine, was held in Berlin, Germany at a restaurant/gallery called Zimt und Zucker on the 29th of August 2019. The opening was a small taste of my work that I have been doing over the women and cuisine in Goa, India. On that evening, I presented the 5 Senses of the body, i.e. Vision, hearing, small, touch and taste. The finger food was a fusion of Goa Coriander Chutney as well as a Jaggery/coconut mixture served in Crepes. The cocktail, Monsoon Madness, a mixture taken from ingredients from Goa.
Goa: Celebrating the Cuisine is an exhibition of photographs, videos and food experiences exploring the cuisine of Goa, India and the people who preserve their traditions, by Dr Marylou Zuzarte.
Food connects people and is universal. When we harvest, prepare, cook and eat; we reminisce, share and tell the stories of our lives. This exhibition celebrates Goans and their cuisine.
“I’m a photographer and former scientist who lives in Berlin. I was born and raised in East Africa to Goan parents and this project began in 2016 as a search for my identity. As I immersed myself in the culture and cuisine, I not only uncovered more of my Goan history but also witnessed the diaspora and contemporary challenges of the people who were preserving generations of tradition. This inspired me to honour them through photography and return to Goa across three years and spend time with this folk. While they planted, harvested, fished, prepared, cooked, and sold their produce, I was there to document the rituals, ceremonies and stories that occurred around the cuisine—in the home and outside of it—and often solely performed by tireless women in their mission to uphold the family and community.
My upbringing involved a mixed kitchen of African, Goan and British influences and my longing for a true Goan fish curry, led me back to Goa to reconnect and explore this rapidly changing food culture. Mixed Traditions at Zimt & Zucker explores a “first taste” of this project.”
Marylou Zuzarte.
