Nine meals from chaos

Did you know there is only enough food on hand to feed the people of Sydney for three days, if there’s a major disruption in transport routes (for example, fuel shortages or bushfire)?

According to Sydney’s Food Futures, a government-funded research project, loss of agriculture presents serious risks to the resilience of the region, health of residents and the viability of farming operations.

Four western Sydney-based artists* have created bodies of work which explore local food security and sustainability, that will feature in a month-long exhibition at Bankstown Arts Centre, titled Nine Meals from Chaos.

Mayor Khal Asfour said the exhibition delves into how we can better utilise local resources.

“Canterbury-Bankstown has a rich history of market gardens and a community of growers,” he said.

“Many also use our Wheelie Good compost, which is made from the contents of resident green bins, provided at giveaways throughout the year.”

Residents are invited to a community picnic, on Saturday 31 August at the Bankstown Arts Centre, featuring local food and information stalls, an artist walk and talk through the Nine Meals from Chaos exhibition and a forum, facilitated by celebrity gardener Costa Georgiadis. The forum, attended by representatives from Resilient Sydney, South Western Sydney Local Health District, OzHarvest and UTS, will explore sustainable food choices and what actions residents can take to produce food locally and secure the future of Sydney's food bowl.

For more information on the exhibition, and to register, visit cb.city/ninemeals

*Artists: Machiko Motoi creates works that straddle traditional values in ceramics and contemporary artistic expression; James Nguyen has an interdisciplinary art practice and output ranges from drawing, installation, video and performance (Available for interview); Tam Nguyen creates wearable art, often made from recycled materials; My Le Thi was born in Buon Ma Thuot, Central Highland of South Vietnam, and came to Australia in 1985. Thi’s practice spans installation, painting, sculpture, sound, music, animation and video art (Available for interview).