I love all the food analogies in the current exhibit, “Blender” by Hidemi Takagi, especially when visitors say that the art on the wall makes them hungry.  One visitor explained to me where I could buy the chocolate covered bananas, Schoko-Bananen, and excellent German sausages at Empire Grocery in College Point Queens.  I had visitors from the Czech Republic who recognized at once the chocolate named “Little Cat’s Tongue.”  The packaging speaks for itself.  A young man from Long Island City related to me the process of designing his own product, Mike’s Hot Honey, or chili infused honey–a condiment used to top pizzas!  It amazes me that there are foods you can only find in New York.  Not all cultures are represented in this international display as I was reminded by visitors the other day who are Native American.  On the other hand, the images and objects in this installation are just that simple: they show you cultures and products that you’ve never before encountered, thus taking you out of your own world and society.  Food really does bring us together, at the same time that it brings out our different tastes and preferences.  Come and savor the art of “Blender.”

You can preview installation images on Hidemi's Flickr stream.