Dea Venhari Dragaj
When I heard that an exhibition titled “I am the Menu” by two Swiss artists (Sophie Nadler and Etienne Eisele) would open at the café-gallery we simply call “Hani,” I expected a show that would fit the setting of a café-gallery, a restaurant, or a city with a tradition in gastronomy and hospitality. Naturally, I imagined photographs or drawings of restaurants, cafés, or even the kinds of items you'd typically find on a standard menu. Only one photograph, of red wine traces left in a glass, came somewhat close to matching my simplistic and dull expectation. But even that was executed in such a unique and unexpected way that it defied any notion of simplicity. The rest of the works on display completely shattered my sense of time and space.
I found myself standing before curved forms wrapped in glossy red paper, clearly intended to evoke the ambiance of cafés or restaurants with velvet curtains. For me, they brought back the 1990s, evoking year-end holiday gifts wrapped in decorative paper, the warmth I felt in the color red before I even knew its name, and the naive happiness I experienced before realizing how complicated the world truly is. There was a shimmer in that decorative paper that gave off a futuristic art vibe. In the background of my mind, I heard melodies from Daft Punk, a band I believe would pair perfectly with this exhibition. For a few moments, I was emotionally transported into my past, while simultaneously feeling the future as something present and tangible. How is it possible that an artwork so simple, both in execution and meaning, can transport us into two entirely different dimensions? That’s the beauty of making art and thinking differently. Even the simplest thing can carry meaning and evoke emotion, without trying too hard.
In the end, Sophie and Etienne’s “Menu” turned out to be the complete opposite of an ordinary menu; it brought me back the warmth of childhood and gave me a hopeful glimpse of a sparkling future. And those two things? I’d pick them from any “menu” in the world, they’re rarely offered.
Dea Venhari Dragaj, Playwright
16 08 2025
The blog was published with the financial support of the European Union as part of the project “The development of art criticism”. Its contents are the sole responsibility of Hani i 2 Robertëve and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
