The GATHER FEAST is a multi-sensorial and participatory installation of sculptures, words, performance and communal eating in collaboration with Minh Phan and architectural researcher/designer Jia Yi Gu, as well as artists, artisans, and chefs, Chloe and Eliza Mozer of oooey studios, Claire Ito of Riviera Seafood Club, Heidi Ross, Jessie Bruce, Jihee Kim of Perilla, Joanna Cuervo of KOMETA, Klementine Song of Tsubaki, Lydia Clarke of Kippered + DTLA Cheese, Michelle Lainez, Mina Park of Baroo, Sonoko Sakai, Robin Koda of Koda Farms, Tracey Harada, and Ujin Kim.
“Bangarang” by oooey studios
“Bangarang!” shouts Peter Pan, and the camera pans to a table of wild eyed and smiling kids, sitting around a table overflowing with steaming roasts, towers of shiny fruit, and endless swirls of multicolored mixtures in pie pans, topped with contrasting dollops. Moments later, a food fight breaks out and the excited faces are rainbow-splatter-painted like lush a Pollock…
As kids, we watched Spielberg’s “Hook” religiously, always favoring this food scene. Each of us siblings had a favorite lost boy, mermaid, multicolored treat. As sisters and business partners, these moments of collective consciousness continue to influence our work today. When our signature oooey studios dips evolved from individual colorful bowls to multicolored painting-like installations, we named the work “bangarang” to suggest: imagination, childhood, wonder.
It is only fitting to perform this work alongside the ever creative and imaginative Minh Phan. Prior to the genesis of oooey studios, Chloe moved to Los Angeles to work with Minh at her restaurant PHENAKITE. As their palates merged and the menu evolved, the two quickly became inseparable. It was through foraging and creating with Minh in this role as CDC that Chloe fell in love with Los Angeles. When Eliza moved to Los Angeles in early 2023 from her roles of cheffing, food-styling and baking in Berlin, she quickly fell head over heels too.
“Bangarang” is an expression of this relishing. When Minh invited us to position “Bangarang” in the context of Alison Knowles’ “Make a Salad” lineage we were deeply humbled and honored. A variety of foraged and hand-picked market flora will be included, celebrating Gather. In the famous Knowles tradition, audience members will be invited to not only join in creating “Bangarang” but in eating it too.
ABOUT THE ARTISANS & CHEFS
Chloe and Eliza Mozer, oooey studios is a collaboration between sisters and chefs Chloe and Eliza Mozer, celebrating seasonal, local, and homegrown produce in Los Angeles, CA. With over 10 years each in the restaurant industries from Chicago to Montana to Berlin, the two have held numerous roles such as Chef de Cuisine of Minh Phan’s Phenakite (Chloe) to Culinary Director of Bon Bock’s small plates and wine bar pop up at KW Institute in Berlin (Eliza). The duo derives inspiration from awe of the LA landscape: rose geranium sprouting from the sidewalk cracks, peppery nasturtiums spreading across ocean hillsides, pink-orange-yellow pops of citrus in January trees. oooey studios creates bespoke dining experiences, ranging from intimate dinners to cocktail parties to interactive food installations.
Claire Ito, Riviera Seafood
Heidi Ross is a chef and artist who uses food as visceral communication through communion and performance—exploring sentience and interspecies connection through sound, touch, and taste. Follow her @halloumi_heidi
Growing up in Santa Monica, CA as the daughter of a pediatrician and a frenchman, joy and food have always been interchangeable for Jessie Bruce. Whether she is whipping up chocolate mousse or discovering the best new bakery, food is always on her mind. She recently received her MPH in Nutrition from UC Berkeley where she delved deep into the worlds of nutrition science, policy, education, and research. She has experience as a pastry and savory cook in restaurants and as a public health researcher, consultant, and educator.
Jihee Kim, Perilla
KOMETA is the creative plantbased studio by Barcelona native, chef, and multidimensional artist, Joanna W. Cuervo. With nature at the core of her inspiration, and fueled by her curiosity in distant worlds, KOMETA breaks with the paradigm of health foods by combining flavor and nutrition, infused with beauty and intrigue.
Chef Klementine Song was raised in the agriculturally rich San Joaquin Valley where her parents ran a nectarine business. She was exposed to great food throughout her childhood. From the taquerias and pho houses of her hometown to the dim sum and Korean BBQ joints in Los Angeles where her grandparents resided, she has always been obsessed with food and restaurants. She first learned how to cook assisting her mom in the kitchen. Klementine moved to Los Angeles to attend the University of Southern California where she earned a degree in Journalism. She moved to New York City where she studied Classic Culinary Arts at the French Culinary Institute. She worked at various restaurants in NYC but found east coast weather disagreeable. She moved back to Los Angeles where she continued her culinary career. She has been at Tsubaki since February 2018 where she is currently Chef de Cuisine.
Lydia Clarke, Kippered + DTLA Cheese
Michelle Lainez is a caterer who advocates for zero waste and conscious eating (eating local and farming sustainably) while creating magical, one-of-a-kind events. Michelle is an active member of her community. She sits on the board of Hope Street Family Center where she has launched a cooking class series for low-income families. She’s been a long-standing member and contributor for chefs collaborative and Women’s Chefs and Restaurateurs.
Mina Park, Baroo
Minh Phan, chef, artist, paradigm shifter, and founder of PHENAKITE, Michelin Star restaurant (2021, 2022), 2021 LA Times Restaurant of the Year and one of the top 10 art experiences in Art Forum (2022). Phan is the also the founder of lauded community restaurant porridge + puffs. She is a practioner and the creative director at multi-disciplinary PKite Studio. LA Times Food Critic Bill Addison describes Phan’s body of work as “ambitious and quietly radical.”
Robin Koda was co-owner of the 97-year-old rice farm, Koda Farms, beloved for its signature, high-quality rice products, Kokuho Rose®, Sho-Chiku-Bai®, Blue Star Brand® Mochiko and Diamond K®.
Sonoko Sakai is a cook, teacher and writer based in California. The essence of her very being is rooted in her Japanese heritage—her name means “garden”. Her cooking reflects her rich cultural upbringing as she lived in many places as a child. She was born in New York and moved to many cities including San Francisco, Kamakura, Mexico City, and Tokyo. The five keys to her cooking philosophy are freshness, seasonality, simplicity, beauty, and economy. At its most fundamental level, her philosophy is about respecting the ingredients and letting their natural flavor come through. Your ingredients should be as fresh and seasonal as possible…let the ingredients speak for themselves!
Ujin Kim is a creative strategist and experiential producer instrumental in building early-stage enterprises that drive culture.