Two Gatherings around the Table

As part of an ongoing exploration of situated pedagogies and dinner as social sculpture, Floating University members Eliza Chojnacka and Jörie Manduki were invited by the Goethe-Institut to develop two collaborative events in Vietnam—first in Hanoi, in partnership with Think Playgrounds, and later in Saigon, with Project Đo Đạc.

 

In Hanoi, the project unfolded on the banks of the Red River as Floating Table, a two-part intervention created with artists Phạm Minh Đức and Trần Lương, studio ĐuĐu, and local youth. Through a design-build workshop using found materials and debris left by Typhoon Yagi, participants shaped a new space for gathering in the Phuc Tan playground. Indigo-dyed textiles and recycled glassware transformed the site, setting the stage for two meals: a discursive dinner on disturbance ecologies and a festive potluck with the local community. The project continues locally through events hosted by our partners.

 

In Saigon, Discursive Floating Dinner was realised in collaboration with Linh Le and Project Đo Đạc. Following a foraging walk led by artist Kai Nguyen, participants boarded a small boat on the Saigon River to share a meal prepared by Yukikitchen using the gathered plants. The dinner invited reflection on nature-culture entanglements, estrangement, and urban development. An artist talk at A.Farm closed the visit, offering space to reflect on both projects and Floating’s broader practice.

 

Both events drew on local ecologies, craft, and conviviality to open space for encounter and exchange—at and around the table.