We at Soul City Arts wanted to work some magic. Opening a portal, a window into the lives of others. As if distance was no object.
Working with our US collaborator Asad Ali Jafri (Space Shift Collective), as well as Mohammed Ali (Soul City Arts) and James Hodkinson (Warwick University), we brought together two communities that might otherwise never have met, being thousands of miles apart in Chicago and Birmingham, for a singular experience of immersive dining, conversation, and mutual learning – all in real time.
"A re-imagined multi-site participatory dining experience"
"We created the ‘Magic Table’, dusting off the live streaming technology we thought we had left behind with the COVID pandemic, we attempted to push the boundaries further"
Mohammed Ali
What is The Magic Table
In the two beautifully lit spaces, immersed in ambient sound, screens and projections were used to create the captivating illusion of one long, singular dining table spanning an ocean. In a virtually unified setting, two guest chefs, Munayam Khan and Maryam khan recreated each others dishes and offered live cooking demonstrations from the end of the table.
Diners were able to show vulnerability, sharing memories of family, love, loss, and bereavement across two continents. The experience testified to the affective power of art to forge bonds and encourage sharing at the deepest level. Wherever in the world we might be.
“We created the ‘Magic Table’ and re-purposed a recording studio in Chicago and the Soul City Arts warehouse in Birmingham.
In two theatrically lit spaces, screens and projections were used to create the illusion of a shared dining table panning an ocean through a screen”.
Mohammed Ali
