Garden Of Lost Macarons II - Mirage

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GARDEN OF LOST MACARONS II – MIRAGE is a sequel to the 2023 installation GARDEN OF LOST MACARONS by food installation artist Gao Panpan. It dialogues with the paintings of Pan Hsinhua exhibited at Qualia Contemporary Art, as well as David Frazer's Mirage series also exhibited in the gallery. In the immersive experience of "tasting", it explores "chaos", "rebirth", "loss", "self" and the multifaceted integration and collision of the world today from a novel perspective.

In this installation, a miniature Zen garden is presented with all the components being edible, including the “rocks” and “gravel”. Not only are they all edible, each has its own distinct and unexpected flavor, both complex and delectable. 

As tasting starts, audiences’ senses will be challenged as if navigating a maze of flavors. 

The most eye-catching elements are the colorful macarons, an archetypical French dessert and symbolic representative of the Western culture. But what make them appear in a Zen garden that represents the East?  Typical macarons are known for their sweet fillings, but here you will find fillings of salty, spicy, and other distinctly Eastern flavors.

If I was a macaron, I would be lost and dazed with endless questions, Who am I? Where am I?  Indeed, everything in this Zen garden is more than what meets the eyes. The Taihu rocks, despite their Oriental characteristics, are full of rich creaminess. The pebbles carry exotic flavors of tropical fruits. Even the humble gravel and sand is laced with Asian spices. There are also strange fish and peculiar butterflies. 

The orderly Zen temple is surrounded by chaos, resembling ruins, ancient stones, and broken walls—perhaps a sign of the temple's "destruction." Yet, crystal-clear eggs emerge from this chaos.  Why are they here, and what do they taste like? This bizarre and distorted scene is more like a dream, a mirage full of symbolism.  

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