A Project by Timothy Lee

Explorations of Budaejigae (Army Base Stew)

Multidisciplinary artist Timothy Hyunsoo Lee is a nominee in the field Sensing the World, mentored by Emeka Ogboh. He proposes an investigation and deconstruction of the titular national Korean dish that balances distinctly Korean flavors with American goods introduced during the United States’s military presence and occupation in South Korea.

Lee examines the idea of national dishes within a postcolonial narrative, and questions how histories of invasion, migration, and assimilation weave flavors and memories into the food we eat. His themes of concern include fermentation as survival, “smelly” ethnic cuisines, and the gastronomic legacies of the American occupation.

 

Prototype design for a budae-jigae flavored instant ramen noodles. ©Timothy Lee

At the Forecast Forum, Lee will share his explorations of the anxieties surrounding home-cooked meals that immigrants and children of the diaspora often experience growing up in the United States. Researching the history of South Korean cuisine, and how it has been shaped by invasion and war, Timothy presents prototypes for artifacts that respond to his relationship with Korean cuisine, and what role these meals played in navigating his Korean-American identity.