Alex Blanco - Meat, Fish & Aubergine Caviar (Overlapse, 2023)

Alex Blanco – Meat, Fish & Aubergine Caviar – Artist Talk & Book Presentation

Thursday, 27 June 2024, 19:00
Softcover, Stumpergasse 53-55, 1060 Vienna

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Photographer Alex Blanco (born 1988, Ukraine) is visiting us from the Netherlands especially for this book presentation and artist talk here at Softcover. She presents her exciting and beautiful photo book “Meat, Fish & Aubergine Caviar” (Lensculture & Photo-eye favorite photo book 2023), which was published in November 2023 by Overlapse, UK. A great opportunity to meet Alex personally and get a copy of the limited edition signed.

“Blanco’s work is akin to deconstructing an onion; a series that emphasises the many layers that must be peeled back to understand the greater truth of a given situation; a layered exploration of cultural identity and personal memory with family dynamics at its core.” – Ellie Howard, British Journal of Photography, Ones to Watch 2021

“Given the title of this beautifully designed monograph, “Meat, Fish & Aubergine Caviar”, be prepared for a visual feast that both satisfies while causing occasional bouts of laughter and dyspepsia” – Michael Honegger, Lenscratch

About the book:

This project highlights the richness of Ukrainian culture and traditions, as seen in the vibrant still lifes of colourful vegetables. I also emphasise the importance of preparing and sharing a meal and show the deep-rooted traditions of Ukrainian cuisine. This serves as a reminder of the value of family and community, tying together the cultural heritage that shapes us.

“Meat, Fish & Aubergine Caviar” is an intimate story reflecting on Ukrainian and Odesan culture through the prism of food and family, that is intrinsically a self-portrait of someone wrecked by childhood traumas. Through a period spent in close quarters with her parents in Odesa, photography became a means for Alex to communicate and connect with her mum and dad during a difficult time in their lives. She took pictures day-to-day, at home and in the street markets, while also creating a utopian universe through her lens — where life is beautiful and her parents become their dream selves in front of the camera. “Meat, Fish & Aubergine Caviar” embraces the complexity of family dynamics through mutual experience and visceral revelations.

Alex’s mum Yevheniia shares three of her most infamously delicious recipes, in detail, and the book’s wire-bound format is inspired by community-made cookbooks that are meant to be shared amongst friends and neighbours.

Photography by Alex Blanco
Book design and published by Overlapse
First Edition, Softcover, 15 x 21 cm, 120 pages
Wire-bound with wraparound printed paper covers
Handmade elements
91 photographs and illustrations
November 2023
ISBN: 9781738130009

About the author:

Alex Blanco (b. 1988, Ukraine) currently lives in the Netherlands. She holds a Master’s degree in Film & Photographic Studies from Leiden University and completed a photography semester at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague. Her passion lies in creating emotionally charged, cinematic images that resonate with her personal memories. “Meat, Fish & Aubergine Caviar” has won the 2023 Nobuyoshi Araki MA-g Awards for Photography, for Original Photography Series.

Shop online: Alex Blanco – Meat, Fish & Aubergine Caviar