Potluck

This show resulted from an invitation; an invitation to the creators who over the past few years have shaped this gallery; an open invitation to take part in a show that was to be a celebration of some sort; a social activity, which, we hoped, would allow us to search for the limits of the art market and the financial entrapments that shape it.

Gift economies have always existed. They are not new. On the contrary, they are older than any other economic system. They have continued to exist alongside the capitalist economy that emerged in Europe between the 13th and 16th century and they continue to exist today. They are fundamental to everything we do. All of us participate in an invisible gift economy every day. We lend a bike to one of our friends. We invite someone over for dinner. We engage in a conversation and during that conversation our ideas converge and collaboratively we create new ideas. None of these exchanges can be calculated precisely - let alone capitalized upon. These are, one might say, gift economies.

One such typical example of a gift economy is the potluck. The origins of the term are not exactly known - some say it was derived from pot and luck, other scholars argue that it is a rephrasing of the potlatch gift exchange tradition that is found among indigenous groups from the Northern Americas - but the principle is easy: you organize a meal for friends and everybody brings along a dish. This can be whatever they can miss. It might be a main dish, or just an aside. It’s all good. It’s about sharing, not about the ultimate result.