At the Rijksakademie Open Studios in Amsterdam, Rotterdam-based artist Benjamin Li presented his work in an unconventional setting: his artworks were displayed in his unique Billy Li Bar. This pop-up art bar serves as the foundation for his current exhibition at FOAM, where he explores personal connection and identity.
Located in FOAM 3h, a space dedicated to emerging artists, the exhibition offers an interactive experience centred on the Chinese-Indonesian restaurant. These eateries are a bog part of Dutch culinary heritage and serve as the perfect platform for Li to explore topics such as family dynamics, cultural origins, and the complexities of migration.
Through Heritage and Gastronomy
Since 2014, Li has visited over 1,000 Chinese-Indonesian restaurants across the Netherlands, documenting his experiences with photos of restaurant interiors, special dishes, and folded takeaway menus. His search for the “perfect orange” is not merely a culinary pursuit—it also touches on migration, belonging, and the experiences of the Asian diaspora in the Netherlands. These restaurants symbolise resilience, adaptation, and the diverse cultural backgrounds that have shaped Li’s own family.
The exhibition features photography, personal anecdotes, videos, sculptures, and puzzles, using food imagery to both celebrate and challenge the stereotypes surrounding these neighbourhood restaurants. Li’s work is a tribute to the cultural legacy of Chinese-Indonesian eateries, inviting viewers to reflect on their true significance in our shared cultural narrative.
A standout feature is the Chinese-Indonesian Restaurant Sticker Album, where visitors can actively participate by collecting and trading stickers. At the heart of the space is a large round table with a rotating artwork inspired by Halma, the traditional Chinese checkers game. The pieces are meticulously carved into rose shapes, a subtle nod to the Chinese carving traditions in which Li’s father excels.
Li challenges the audience to reconsider the role of these iconic restaurants in shaping both community identity and individual heritage. These landmarks, often overlooked, are integral to many families’ sense of belonging in this country, serving as a connection between cultures and generations.
About the Artist
Benjamin Li (1985) is a conceptual artist from Rotterdam. After his residency at the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam, his work has been included in collections such as the LAM Museum and the AkzoNobel Art Foundation. Known for his poignant explorations of identity and cultural representation, Li taps into personal themes that resonate with contemporary societal discourse.
Li’s exhibition at FOAM 3h has been made possible by DLA Piper, the Van Bijlevelt Foundation, and the Mondriaan Fund. It will be on display until December 1, 2024.
For more information, visit www.foam.org.
All images, courtesy of the artist and Foam.
This article is also in Dutch, written for China NU+ e-magazine, 2024.
