DISSOLVING TERRITORIES II – 5+ Logistics

June 5th 2019, 7pm, @ aquarium am Südblock

Guest speaker: Thiva Mohanathasan

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The forcible displacement of people doesn’t just lead to the dislocation of bodies, but also to a shift of eating habits. Food cultures are reflective of specific geographies, topographies, climates, histories and cultures that evolve within/through them. But what happens when a people are forcefully pushed out of their ancient (cultural) landscapes only to find themselves confronted with, to them, new and unknown geographies as well as climates?

In the fifth episode of “Dissolving Territories – Cultural Geographies of a New Eelam”, we explore how people eat in exile, what meanings food are assigned to in exile, how geographic shifts can articulate themselves in changes within taste palates and what roles Tamil grocery stores play within such contexts. Central to our journey will be the history of transnational food chains and infrastructures which allowed for the present day bridging of climate and geographic boundaries to very much enable a Tamil cuisine in exile.

Sinthujan Varatharajah initiated and conceptualised the series »Dissolving Territories« together with Iris Rajanayagam (director xart splitta). Varatharajah is an essayist, researcher and currently Open City Fellow of the Open Society Foundation and a PhD student in Political Geography (UCL). Sinthujan works and researches the geography of power(lessness) and spatial resistance practices and holds an MSc. in Race, Ethnicity and Postcolonial Studies (LSE).

The event will take place in spoken German. The location is wheelchair accessible. A wheelchair accessible bathroom is available.