Political Dumplings - Talks & Collective Cooking with Bordered Lives

In response to the conservative turn visible in many parts of the world, In Between Zones, as a loose curatorial collective, explores new ways of imagining how geopolitical tensions shape everyday life. We seek to reveal the often-hidden interconnectedness of borders that appear separate, yet are deeply linked through shared histories, movements, and cultural practices.

Dumplings, we believe, embody this connectedness: from Chinese jiaozi to Georgian khinkali, their journey from Central and East Asia across the world—through trade routes, colonial expansion, migration, and cultural exchange—reminds us that food-making is never neutral. It is a form of labour, care, and cultural transmission that sustains relationships across borders.

Here, we apply the concept of “political kitchen” and invite socially engaged academics and artists who defy the logics of nationalism and state borders to engage in transnational, interdisciplinary conversation alongside collective cooking.

• Begin with a talk, followed by presentations from the participant artists and academics.

• Then, move to the on-site kitchen to make dumplings of various shapes together (e.g., Chinese, Indonesian, Levantine, and Russo-Korean). Led by / co-learned with the event's invited guests, organisers, and participants who are confident in cooking!

Aria Danaparamita (Mita): i was thinking we could do indonesian-style siomay which is served with peanut sauce. i found a veggie recipe but it's in indonesian, would you be able to translate it? we can tweak it based on what ingredients are accessible. and if we're already making the dumpling skin for the other dumplings we could use that same recipe (what makes it "indonesian" is the peanut sauce)

Main Ingredients: white tofu, bitter melon, cabbage, potato, carrots, peanuts.

Dorothy Cheung: I will try making Wonton based on a recipe found online specifically written for the U.K. context. Wonton is popular in the Canton area and Hong Kong, but people don’t usually make them at home in Hong Kong, as it is time-consuming and difficult to make! But anyway, we will just try to make do with what we find here.

Main Ingredients: prawns and pork.

Hanadi Samhan will bring us Shish barak (also spelt shushbarak or shishbarak), a popular Levantine dish consisting of small, meat-filled dumplings simmered in a creamy, tangy garlic-yoghurt sauce. Often described as the "ravioli of the Middle East," this comfort food is a staple in Lebanese, Syrian, Jordanian, and Palestinian cuisines, particularly during winter and special occasions such as Ramadan.

Main Ingredients: beef, yoghurt, red onion, tahini, Lebanese seven spices.

Misha Zakharov: It’s Koryo-Saram dumplings called pigodi (also known as pyanse). I’ve been meaning to learn how to cook them anyway, so this feels like a great opportunity. Ideally, they should be cooked in a bamboo steamer, but a frying pan should also do it. 

Main Ingredients: egg (optional), banana, mushroom, carrot.

*Disclaimer: The event is ticketed, and proceeds will be used to support on-site food, drinks, and other organisational costs. As we aim to create an inclusive and accessible space, we may be able to waive the participation fee for certain groups. If this would be helpful for you, please feel free to contact us at inbetweenzones@outlook.com to discuss further.