Grains of Confluence: Richard Liu on Migration and Memory

The projects presented by Richard Liu (student Fine Art) differ greatly from one another. Polaroids and recipes hang on the wall, over which a film of plates of fried rice is projected. Chalk texts are written across the floor, and videos of performances in public spaces are shown throughout the exhibition. Together, the works can be seen as an investigation that attempts to answer the question: what can we do when language is unable to contain the full complexity of migration, memory, and identity?

“I developed my own pidgin language, a combination of English, Dutch, and Chinese. Pidgin emerged out of necessity, as a way to communicate across borders and language barriers, but for me it is also a way of speaking about the margins of society. I write on the street and in the sand; the wind comes and blows my traces away. What remains is only a vague memory of what I wrote. I compare this to the stories of migrants woven into a city: invisible, yet constantly present.

Fried rice is my metaphor for pidgin language - it too is a mixture of different ingredients. It is never just fried rice; it reflects identity, belonging, and a family history hidden within a dish. At home we made fried rice with leftovers, and my father would sometimes add pieces of apple. As a child, I assumed everyone made it this way, but everyone uses different ingredients connected to personal memories, to a cultural memory that reminds them of their homeland.

In Grains of Confluence, I asked people to share their personal nasi goreng recipes. I photographed their kitchens and the plates of rice they prepared. Intimate stories are hidden behind that single dish, and through those stories I want to create space for cultural dialogue. Cooking is a way for me to resist homesickness, but also a way to resist the racism I experience every day. My artistic practice is personal, but I also see it as an outstretched hand toward my community, toward the people I represent.”