WHAT IS THE MAIN IDEA OF THE PROJECT AND WHO IS THE TARGET GROUP?

Virtual Chef is a project initiated by Julie Upmeyer, an artist based in Istanbul, Turkey. It began with her simple desire to invite a friend over for a dinner party. But she was in Istanbul and her friend was in Poland. They decided to do a Skype date. They would both collect the necessary ingredients for their meal and cook the food at the same time. The friend in Poland chose the recipe, Canneloni. Using Skype, they were able to have their dinner party together, although unfortunately the friend in Poland was actually still at work, giving Julie instructions at her desk. Thus the Virtual Chef project was born.

As the project developed, Julie Upmeyer became more interested in ways to have an intimate experience through the internet - not in the sense of escaping to a virtual world, but in having a significant connection with an individual in a distant location. Internet technologies such as Skype, live internet TV and other connective software allow two parties to interact (through audio and video). This eliminates expensive and often impossible physical travel, but does not solve the ongoing problems of facilitating exchange and dialogue. Virtual Chef explores these virtual communications artistically, creating a shared experience.

There have been 11 Virtual Chef events so far, most taking place in Istanbul, connecting to friends and contacts throughout the world. Sometimes Upmeyer has met the chef before, other times she dose not meet them in person until much later. The project’s focus is the recipe itself; invented, inherited, adapted and translated. Events have taken place in tea-houses, art spaces, bridges, restaurants, homes, hallways (not a good idea) and, when she is very lucky, in fully equipped professional kitchens.

The audience is based on the networks of her host. Sometimes it is a part of an art festival, other times it is a standalone event. Julie has created events with cookery students, art students, as part of some festivals and a biennial, and as part of the programming of several art spaces.

WHAT DOES THE PROJECT INCLUDE?

"Virtual Chef begins by making a connection with a person in a distant location, who sends me a recipe. I gather these locations locally, a city-wide quest that results in the (re)discovery of streets, shops and people. Often times, other research takes place concurrently. Are there specialty shops in the area that were started by immigrants? Are there informal flows of food products and ingredients coming into the neighborhood?

I then prepare the cooking space, the ‘set’ for the performance, the chopping and cooking areas and the dinner table. When the guests have arrived, we make the connection, using Skype, to the remote chef. Using a projector, web cameras and microphones, the chef can see and hear us, and we can see and hear the chef.

Step-by-step, the ‘virtual’ chef instructs us how to prepare the dish, at the same time, sharing stories, memories and other information about the ingredients or recipes. When the cooking is finished, all the participants are invited to eat, sharing the food together." Julie Upmeyer

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE PROJECT PARTNER/S?

Julie Upmeyer coordinates with the host location, the virtual chef and local collaborator, gathers ingredients, prepares the space, communicates with the virtual chef during the cooking and coordinates documentation of the event.

The local collaborator works with the initiator to conceptualise the event, as well as gathering ingredients, preparing the space and communicating with the virtual chef during the cooking. A main responsibility is to manage the guests (in the local language) during the cooking process.

The host prepares the space for the event, coordinates with the technical crew, gives advice about good sources for ingredients, provides the necessary cooking supplies and technology and arranges local promotion of the event, in collaboration with the initiator.

Technical support installs and prepares the video connection, projection, audio set-up and internet connection.

A videographer/photographer documents the ingredient shopping, cooking and eating.

The sponsor supports the project financially – a budget for ingredients, promotion, initiator and collaborator fees, translation, web and video documentation.

WHAT IS THE REASON FOR THE COLLABORATION WITH EACH PARTNER?

Virtual Chef, as simple as the idea seems, is quite a complex project to produce. Each partner has a vital role in ensuring that the performance runs smoothly.

HOW IS THE PROJECT FINANCED?

It is funded on an event-by-event basis; the project has no overall funding.

The first several events were financed by Julie Upmeyer. She paid for the ingredients out of her pocket and assumed of each of the roles described above. The host location was her own art project space that she had initiated a few months before. As the project grew, it became necessary to gather a team. Friends volunteered to help her with translation, videography and photography. A local brewery provided them with drinks. The project received its first official support through an invitation to the Sinop Biennale. The ingredients, travel, host location, technical support and local promotion were taken care of. This was then followed by a similar invitation from the Galata Visibility Project, a festival in Istanbul. She was reimbursed for the ingredients, given a host location and support for her collaborators' travel from the Dutch consulate, but received no other finances for herself or her team.

Virtual Chef was then invited to be a part of the Portable Art Project, an initiative of the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture. For the first time, Julie was given a real budget for four events, each of which included funds for ingredients, kitchen supplies, promotional material, web visibility, videography, translation, an assistant, an honorarium for each virtual chef and an artist's fee for herself. The funding was for four Virutal Chef events throughout 2009, though unfortunately she was only able to do two before the year ended.

This funding gave the project an influx of resources. Out of these funds, Julie was able to secure a project website, her own high-quality web cameras, microphones and some other technical supplies. During this time she recieved invitations from a festival in France (with quite good funding), an event in the Netherlands and from a school group in the United States that gave small artists' fees.

Currently, Julie is in negotiation with groups in Antakya, Turkey, as well as in Amsterdam and in Cyprus for Virtual Chef events in their locations.

WHAT ARE THE OUTPUTS?

"After the events so far, the response from the participants has been quite positive. Cooking together creates a strong bonding experience, and the participants feel quite close to one another at the conclusion. Twice, the host location was a bit angry at the end, because they were not properly informed as to which parts of their space we would use for the project. This came from a lack of good communication between the artisic team that invited the project, and the owners and workers of the physical space (restauraunts, cafes or other spaces)." Julie Upmeyer

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE PROJECT ENCOUNTERS DIFFICULTIES?

"The biggest problems come in the coordination with the local hosts and partners. The host must plan the visibility of the project in advance, to ensure that the event has a good number of guests; 20-30 works best. Often times the local partner is not in good communication with the host location. I've run into trouble a few times when myself and my project team were told that we had full use of the kitchen, but the workers in the kitchen were not informed. They felt quite threatened by our intrusion and the mood of the entire project was quite awkward.

Also, several times, the technical setup was not well prepared. The project requires a fast internet connection, a recent computer system and a person knowledgable about the functioning of these systems. I have somewhat solved this problem by bringing most of my own technology with me to the site." Julie Upmeyer

WHAT ABOUT THE FUTURE?

"Currently I'm waiting to hear back from a few organisations that have invited me to organise the project at their location. These events were supposed to have taken place last fall, but were delayed. I'm not certain if they will happen even in the spring.

I'm currently working on three aspects of this project.

1. Finding local partners or hosts to give Virtual Chef a home(s) in Istanbul. The last several events were held either out of the country, or in the very outskirts of the city, so I fear the project has lost a bit of mometum within the city. The challenge for this is finding the production funds. People are happy to have the project in their space, but I have yet to find someone that is willing to pay for more than the basic food ingredients. I really wish that the project maintains its level of quality at this point and that my team are not all the time working for free.
2. I'm also working to develop slightly alternative formats for the project that don't require such a big production. I'm in contact with several festivals, spaces and groups that are very interested in the concept, but do not have the funds and/or interest to actually fly me there to produce the whole thing. I would like to create some ways that I can stay in Istanbul and create a significatly interactive experience connected to a festival or group in another location. I'm trying to develop some sort of 'game', with people in both locations giving and following cooking instructions, or collaboratively developing a recipe.
3. Writing a Virtual Chef Cookbook – part past event documentation, part recipe book, part ingredient and product guide. I'd also like this to include a DVD, with full documentation of past events and about the project as a whole. I'm working on the budget, so if a chance for funding does appear, I'll be prepared with the research, initial planning and team." Julie Upmeyer

WHY IS COOPERATION IMPORTANT?

"Working with people from a variety cultures and backgrounds has forced me to question my own working methods. Working in new places, with new people has helped me to see there are many ways to be an artist, many ways to live and many ways to arrange your finances. I come to understand which aspects of my own personality are part of my culture, which parts are situational and which parts are uniquely me.

The issue of stereotypes also comes to mind. In working repetitively with people from a particular culture, I begin understand where cultural stereotypes originate from, why they exist, in what instances they are true and where the exceptions lie. This also leads to an understanding of humour and sarcasm, who do people make fun of, whom do they allow to make fun of them and how do they make fun of themselves." Julie Upmeyer

THANKS TO

Anita Bacic, Marta Marucha, Dianne Upmeyer, Anamaria Galea, Iuliana Varodi, Mehmet Ekiz, Ashkan Sepahvand, Roza Erdem, Sarah Graddy, Natalia Volchenko, Ina Stockholm, Karl Heinz Jeron, Rod Patterson, Melike Yildirim, Regina Jun, Anika Weshinskey, Sarp Karaer, Willemijn Bouman, The Maden Family, Filiz Telek, Dano Alexander, Stephanie Hennequin, Daniel Dennis de Wit, Jantime Wijnja, Paul Wittenbraker, Guliz Saglam, Ezgi Ariduru, Käthe Wenzel, Kartini Thomas, Sibel Horada, Nelida İleri, Tania Chandler, Filiz Hosukoglu, Helene Abrand.

Taps Brewery and Restaurant; Caravansarai; Sinopale – the International Sinop Bienale; Guney Restaurant; Galata Perform; Consulate of the Netherlands – Turkey; Babayan Culture House – Cappadocia; Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture; Lille3000 – Europe XXL Festival; Kartal Bülent Ecevit Kültür Merkezi; Hotel MariaKapel; Grand Valley State University – Art & Design Department; Küçükçekmece Cennet Kültür ve Sanat Merkezi.