Arthur Wibisono

entry via the alley

The act of ritual today, has seen its rapid decline. An act that once define humanity is now losing its importance. Ritual plays a central role in what defines us as human. Ritual is an act of effectively displaying, transmitting, and honestly committing to our shared values.

Over the last 100 years, humanity has advanced so much that most of the time we cannot keep up with. Despite that it only takes 7 hours to fly from New York to London, causing mass movement within people from all over the world – the one thing that we always bring with us is the ritual of food and drink. The act of ‘breaking bread’.

A ritual that has been since the beginning of humanity, despite the rapid changes that occurs daily in the modern era. It is still relevant till this date.

Eating and drinking are essential for survival – because of its centrality in our lives, it is the perfect vehicle for a ritual. Almost every culture has rituals around food; from fasting and feasting during Ramadan to tea ceremony in Japan. However, the ritual of food has gone missing from our modern meal.

This inner house in an exploration of the typology of a private dining in a home setting. A home where the focal point surrounds the act of consuming food and drinks. The house is about sharing food, drinks, stories, and company in an intimate environment.

An experimentation based on the belief that an entire community can begin around a table; by sharing not only food and drinks but also stories.