Artist-in-Residence - Natalie Ferguson and Toby Gillies

February 4 - March 31, 2019

“With Secret Ingredient, we hope to encourage participants to have meals together more often, appreciate their families and culture, and to provide an opportunity to share traditions and new ideas with each other. The secret ingredient is people!”

— Natalie Ferguson and Toby Gillies

Promotional image for Secret Ingredient by Natalie Ferguson and Toby Gillies

Secret Ingredient, 2018. Natalie Ferguson and Toby Gillies. Courtesy of the artists.

Secret Ingredient

March 9-17, 2019

Natalie Ferguson and Toby Gillies during programming

Selected through our inaugural artist-in-residence call for proposals, Natalie Ferguson's and Toby Gillies's artist project, Secret Ingredient, will be presented for March Break 2019 (March 9 - 17, 2019). Secret Ingredient will bring people together by way of one thing we all share; love of food. Using mainly paper and a variety of colourful materials, visitors will be invited to create faux versions of their favourite meals, real and imagined. 

By creating playful sculptures of food, combined with family photography and handwritten recipes,  participants will contribute to a collection of prized family recipes to be presented as an installation within Walker Court and online. 

A realistically rendered roast-chicken or a crumpled piece of brown paper can both be successful representations of a favourite home-cooked meal. The objective of Secret Ingredient is to have fun sharing cherished family recipes, and imagining new ones!

See below for highlights from Secret Ingredient. Thank you to all the families involved! 
Images are courtesy of Natalie Ferguson and Toby Gillies

Family Favourites
Family Favourites title
Mac 'n cheese made of paper in ceramic bowl
Family Favourites mac 'n cheese
Borrekol
Family Favourites borrekol
empanadas made of paper
Family Favourites empanadas
crab curry made of paper
Family Favourites crab curry
noodles made of paper
Family Favourites portuguese noodle soup
sausage and rice made of paper
Family Favourites chinese sausage and rice
fatouch salad made of paper
Family Favourites fatouch
tortilla de patatas made of paper
Family Favourites tortilla de patatas
varenyky made of paper
Family Favourites varenyky
mataball soup made of paper
Family Favourites matzoball soup
scopelliti pasta and meatballs made of paper
Family Favourites scopelliti pasta and meatballs
swiss rösti with bacon and eggs made of paper
Family Favourites swiss rosti
spaghetti bolagnese made of paper
Family Favourites spaghetti bolagnese
chicken soup made of paper
Family Favourites watson soup
pepperoni pizza made of paper
Family Favourites vivienne pizza

Foolproof Flavours
Foolproof Flavours title
mac 'n cheese with fruit made of paper
Foolproof Flavours mac 'n cheese with fruit
ham and cheddar sandwich on white bread with cucumber made of paper
Foolproof Flavours ham and cheddar sandwich
tacos and salad made of paper
Foolproof Flavours tacos and salad
lasagne made of paper
Foolproof Flavours lasagne
kd with salmon and broccoli made of paper
Foolproof Flavours kd with salmon and broccoli
sushi make of paper
Foolproof Flavours sushi
meat lover's burget made of paper
Foolproof Flavours meatlovers burger
ceaser salad made of paper
Foolproof Flavours ceasar salad
chicken noodle soup made of paper
Foolproof Flavours chicken noodle soup
pizza made of paper
Foolproof Flavours pizza
mexican lasagna made of paper
Foolproof Flavours mexican lasagna

For the Guests
For the Guests title
croquembouche
For the Guests croquembouche
cherry pie made of paper
For the Guests cherry pie
dumplings made of paper
For the Guests little dragon dumpling
pickle monster made of paper
For the Guests pickle monster
mushroom steak made of paper
For the Guests mushroom steak
chickpea and fried bread made of paper
For the Guests chole bhatura
sweet fruit crust made of paper
For the Guests sweet fruit crust
chocolate cake made of paper
For the Guests chocolate cake
pie à la frais made of paper
For the Guests strawberry pie
rice and salmon with lemon and parsley made of paper
For the Guests rice and salmon
spicey shark made of paper
For the Guests spicy shark

Kids Cravings
Kids Cravings title
steak and cucumber made of paper
Kids Cravings steak and cucumber
smoked salmon with cream cheese on a bagel made of paper
Kids Cravings james' favourite lunch
pancakes made of paper
Kids Cravings Emma's family pancakes
waffles with bacon and toast made of paper
Kids Cravings Nathan's breakfast
spaghetti made of paper
Kids Cravings spaghetti
tomato soup made of paper
Kids Cravings tomato soup
sad taco made of paper
Kids Cravings sad taco
wrap made of paper
Kids Cravings wrap
fried rice made of paper
Kids Cravings fried rice
spring salad made of paper
Kids Cravings Sophie's spring salad
banana split made of paper
Kids Cravings banana split

Special Servings
Special Servings title
noodles, dumplings and fish balls made of paper
Special Servings noodles, dumplings and fish balls
seafood pasta made of paper
Special Servings seafood pasta
penne with meatballs made of paper
Special Servings penne with meatballs
udon noodle soup
Special Servings udon noodle soup
tri force timbit made of paper
Special Servings tri force timbit
life burger made of paper
Special Servings life burger
chicken tortellini soup made of paper
Special Servings chicken tortellini soup
salmon salad made of paper
Special Servings keito's salad
pink pie made of paper
Special Servings pink pie
tiramisu made of paper
Special Servings tiramisu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Natalie Ferguson and Toby Gillies are multidisciplinary artists and educators based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, working together in projects that engage with community. Through their work, collaboratively, individually and as managers at Art City, a not-for-profit community art centre in Winnipeg, they’ve organised countless socially engaged art projects involving a wide audience of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, providing opportunities for immersive art experiences. 

Portrait of Natalie Ferguson and Toby Gillies

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