Having your photo taken while gnawing on a sticky barbecued rib is probably not what you want to have on the menu. Indeed, any mug shot with you face covered in sauce is not one to be saved for the photo album (more likely it is to be one saved for the bonfire). I know that if anyone came near me with a camera while I was in such as state would have trouble saying 'cheese' for the next week.
Fortunately, at
The Art of Dining, the photography has already been done, and you are there purely for the food and entertainment.
The Art of Dining is the brainchild of university friends Alice Hodge, and Ellen Parr. The former is a set designer, the latter is a chef. Together they combined their two passions to create a quirky dining experiences in pop-up locations. Previous events they have hosted include The Servants' Supper, Trade Secrets, Eat Your Heart Out, TV Diners, and Fit for a Queen.
Their next theme is called
Say Cheese, and invites you to the world of
Martin Parr. Parr is a photographer who uses exaggeration and manipulation to create images that are humorous, political, and anti-propoganda. Amongst others, his themes include leisure, communication, religion, and consumption. It is the last of these that Alice and Ellen took as inspiration for their next event, which will be held at the Rose Lipman building in Hackney on the 19th-22nd & 26th-29th March.
For £65 you will have a unique culinary experience, in which Parr's food photography will be recreated on your plate. There will be a complimentary drink upon arrival, as well as an original limited edition signed postcard package and entertainment. Alternatively, you can buy a bar ticket for £10, with which you will get a Martin Parr cocktail and limited edition beer mat.