Bearing the wisdom of our grandparents in hand-me-down recipes, the discipline of our mothers in neatly preserved dabbas, the joys of getting first rotis right, and the quiet innovation of whipping up the best out of economic worsts — the kitchen is more than a space where meals are cooked. And creating in this space, much like an artist’s studio, is more than just following a recipe. It’s a creative facilitation, which is what a 10-day virtual series, The Kitchen Studio Workshop, will investigate, leading to a digital publication that will showcase non-textbook depictions of the kitchen.

The series is organised by Museum of Art & Photography (MAP), Bengaluru, in collaboration with the initiative Curating for Culture. “The idea for The Kitchen Studio emerged when a team member began talking about an experience in her ancestral family kitchen. It involved cutting a jackfruit, and her entire family participating in this experience. This prompted all of us to share personal anecdotes about our kitchens. We quickly realised that creating in the kitchen is informed by so much more than a recipe,” shares Surya HK, head of events and experiences, MAP. Workshop facilitator Ishita Shah, a designer, historian, and a research-based practitioner, points out that while the kitchen, as a household space, is inspired from ritualistic experiences of its inmates, it calls for exploration and experimentation  too. “During any event or change in circumstances, the kitchen is one of the most affected spaces,” she says.