Detail Image Courtesy of Adina Andrus
On View: November 11 - December 10
Opening Reception: November 12 (6-8 pm)
Clay Bowl-Building Workshop: November 19 (1-3 pm)
Legend has it that on the third night after the birth of a child, three Fates come to visit: the one who spins the thread of life, the one who pulls the thread, and the one who cuts it. To prepare for the Fates’ arrival, the new mother sets out a feast with a piece of red silk thread circling dishes made of flour, salt, honey, seeds, basil, water, wine, oil and milk. The visiting Fates will thus be satisfied, and the destiny they foretell will be a happy one. The next day, all the food left is given away to family and neighbors. This is the Feast of Fates.
Inspired by this Romanian ritual, Adina Andrus created 120 ceramic objects that evoke this practice of offering and sharing food as a powerful way to create connections: with a divine or supernatural being, as in certain ceremonies and rituals, or with others around us, through sharing food as an act of generosity and companionship. In Adina Andrus’ installation, the artist’s traditionally shaped bowls, cups, and plates commingle with more idiosyncratic replicas of plastic party platters, soft drink bottles, and takeout containers, arranged as meals set for three. Alongside these installations, an offering altar, made of groceries items and snacks from local bodegas invites the viewers to engage in the feast, taking and adding food, thus connecting them to this Romanian cultural tradition.
As spiritual practices and tastes have evolved, so have our offerings, which now incorporate commercial items and readily available snacks. Regardless of its form, the tradition of sharing food — whether with gods or humans — persists, transforming everyday meals into deeper experiences by inviting others to join.
Reception attendees are invited to participate in an interactive installation around the dinner and offering table modeled after “Poftim”, a Romanian word that translates to “please take” or “here you are”, and is used in polite speech when presenting someone with something. The table will also be used to collect non-perishable food items that will be donated at the end of the exhibition to Feeding Westchester Food Bank. Attendees who are able to bring a non-perishable food item with them may add it to the offering table during the reception.
Please also consider donating to the organizations that help feed our local community:
Caritas Food Pantry/Meals on Main Street
Larchmont Mamaroneck Hunger Task Force
Baked goods enjoyed by guests at the reception of Feast of Fates were generously provided by:
Join us on November 19th (1-3 pm) for a free clay workshop at ICS led by Adina Andrus. More info
This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature and administered by ArtsWestchester.
About the Artist
Adina Andrus works across various media, creating 2D mixed media pieces, sculptures, drawings and installations that confront questions of memory, belonging, and visual culture across time and space. Her works, while rooted in the ancient and folk art of her native country, Romania, allude to a universal pool of images and symbols that we inherit, consume and are guided by, while simultaneously interpreting them and contributing new, contemporary meanings. Andrus has exhibited work in New York City and in numerous galleries across the United States, including the St. Louis Artists Guild, Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild and Ely Contemporary Art Center, as well as in Bucharest, Romania. She studied art at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, MA and the Art Students’ League in New York City. She is a recipient of the Queens Council for the Arts New Work Grant and the Arts Alive Artist Grant.
