Benjamin Li - In Search of Perfect Orange

Photography, video, sculptures and puzzles

Since 2014, Li has visited over 1,000 Chinese-Indonesian restaurants in the Netherlands, building up a rich archive of menus, tableware and personal stories. With photography, video, sculptures and puzzles with images of Chinese-Indonesian dishes, he shows the diversity and charm of these restaurants. For Li, these eateries symbolize more than just good food; they represent the resilience of his family and the broader integration of the Asian community in the Netherlands. Many of his family members, including his parents, worked in restaurants to build a new life. With his work, Li honors these often undervalued places while simultaneously emphasizing their cultural and historical value. His work challenges stereotypes and prejudices that Asians encounter in the Netherlands, and focuses on themes such as identity, representation, displacement, cultural eating habits and feeling at home.

Chinese-Indonesian Restaurant Sticker Album

One of his recent projects, the Chinese-Indonesian Restaurant Sticker Album, which is part of the exhibition, invites visitors to interact with this heritage by collecting and exchanging stickers. At the heart of the exhibition is a large round table with a rotating artwork, inspired by Halma, also known as Chinese checkers. The pawns of the game are carved in the shape of roses, which refers to the Chinese technique of carrot carving that Li's father practices. With the exhibition, Li tries to find a balance between exposing the absurdity of certain stereotypes and revaluing the beauty and heritage of the Chinese-Indonesian restaurant.