We had a shared meal to celebrate the launch of ‘The Other Moderns‘, a 300-page book of stories about little-known émigré architects, interior designers and furniture makers who fled Europe in World War II and began working in Sydney in the 1930s. ‘The Other Moderns’ is co-published by Hotel Hotel and NewSouth Publishing; and edited by Rebecca Hawcroft.
World-wide migration has hit an all-time high. This lunch was a time to gather together and celebrate the contributions of migrants, past and present, to Australia’s cultural landscape.
‘Code-switching’ is the act of alternating between two or more languages in conversation. This meal was conceived of as a code-switching for the palate. Monster’s Sean McConnell presented a menu of food that was simple, eclectic and communal.
Lunch was punctuated with small performances and provocations: Multi-lingual artists presented a poem; weaving between Azerbaijani, Indonesian, Persian, Serbian, Spanish and English. Canberra Symphony Orchestra violinist, Pip Thompson and cimbalomist, Tim Meyen played songs that evoked loss, long journeys and memories.
Poetry by the Homespun poets, presented by Mother Tongue – Multilingual Poetry
Vesna Cvjeticanin, Karina Palomita, Anita Patel and Asefe Zeinalabedini.
Music by Canberra Symphony Orchestra
Pip Thompson on violin and Tim Meyen on cimbalom
Vinyls by Cosmo White.
‘The Other Moderns' is a 300-page book of stories about little-known émigré architects, interior designers and furniture makers who fled Europe in World War II and began working in Sydney in the 1930s. ‘The Other Moderns’ is co-published by Molonglo, Hotel Hotel and NewSouth Publishing; and edited by Rebecca Hawcroft.