IN-PERSON Barcelona. Section A

Abstract

In the past decade, various societies faced the forced displacement of large populations due to adverse conditions. These movements, devastating for the displaced, also raised concerns at many national borders – physically and metaphorically. The struggle to feel at home in a new culture became a daily challenge. An EU-funded, qualitative research on displacement was carried out through seventy-two in-depth interviews with migrant artists in Paris, Izmir, Istanbul, Havana, Berlin, Leipzig, Valencia, Palermo, Ljubljana, Orlando (2017-2022) and the findings informed the design of an experience for newcomers that would serve in “placemaking” – as a transitivity that facilitates relating to a new culture. “Breaking Bread” is a workshop centered around the most basic and universal of all food, where the participants bring their favorite loaf to share with the others. Overcoming potential cultural dominance, the act of sharing a bite is used as an icebreaker, to start sharing stories that lead to knowing one another – even creating bonds at the end of the day. So far, it took place twice at Cite International des Arts, Paris, France (December, 2021) and University of Central Florida, Orlando, U.S.A (November, 2022). In the realm of experience design, creating a touchpoint is pivotal for fostering dialogue. Sharing a meal is one of the simplest, yet the strongest acts of creating such a touchpoint, fostering connections, and ideally sparking more profound conversations. Once the groundwork for social interaction is laid, expanding it to cover the participation of diverse communities becomes a plausible and enriching possibility.