Monthly Suitcase Economy Brunch #10

Monthly Suitcase Economy Brunch is a testing ground for experimenting with relationships, translation, economic models, transformation and time through the preparation and serving of food. In this series, artist Riet Wijnen is developing a method to build connections among different local daily contexts, past and present, by researching local histories of preservation and fermentation.

These centuries-old methods for extending the lifespan of agricultural products through transformation are evident in the practices of various cultures. As people moved around, these preservation and fermentation methods spread and evolved. For example, sauerkraut is based on the Chinese tradition of preserving cabbage in rice wine. These methods were developed when people were largely self-sufficient, relying on informal barter economies to provide themselves with food year-round.

Each brunch involves a process of fermentation or preservation and an ingredient transported from one place to another via suitcase. The menu predominantly features food from Limburg, a province in the south of the Netherlands where the artist was raised, South Korea, and South Africa. The specific regions in these two countries will be determined by collaborators of the Monthly Suitcase Economy Brunch series.

The Menu

To be announced soon!

Drinks

We will serve iced tea with lemon, verbena and elderflower or rooibos and rhubarb, made with the staple syrups of Suitcase Economy.

Price

10 euros, or 5 euros (drinks not included) if you bring either a homemade fermented or preserved product, the recipe for it, harvested produce from your own garden, or a specific ingredient for cultural dishes.

Time

11:00-15:00, or until we run out

Location

Suitcase Economy / Ground Floor, Kunstinstituut Melly, Witte de Withstraat 50, Rotterdam

*Images from Monthly Suitcase Economy Brunch #9, Saturday 18 July 2026, where Donghwan Kam cooked together with Riet Wijnen. They prepared Yeolmu Guksu (열무국수), a refreshing Korean cold noodle dish made with somyeon (소면), thin wheat noodles, served in an icy, tangy broth made from the brine of yeolmu kimchi (열무김치), young summer radish kimchi. The meal was accompanied by homemade tofu (dubu, 두부) served with cheongjang (청장), a young soy sauce, and gotgam mari (곶감말이), dried persimmons with walnuts and cream cheese.