Esther Peronnet
Manners for Dinner
Installation / Performance
Table setting
170 x 100 x 120 cm
Étiquette, Hierarchies, Restriction, Social codes, Manners
Peronnet’s memories of strict rules on how to eat, act and speak at the dinner table made her want to explore and further reflect on specific social codes within dinner gatherings.
In her work, she refers to the French king Louis XIV, who used étiquette to control his surroundings and solidify his supremacy as absolute monarch of France. Two and a half centuries later her father grew up with cardboard under his arms while he ate his dinner to make him sit up straight and eat correctly. In case the cardboard fell, he would be punished.
Tracing how the past constructs the future and linking it with her own experiences, Esther invites you to the dinner table.
Bon appétit.
