Juntao Liu

"Pancakes"

Section MS15, Sarah Akigbogun

Keywords: memory, food

This is a robe given to me by my granddad, who is 93 years old, before I came to London. This robe used to belong to him, and he saw how much I liked it and gave it to me. I often wear it in London, and when the dressing gown wraps around me, it's as if my family is right next to me, giving me a warm hug. In the video for the project, I am exploring the connection between wrapping and belonging.

Pancakes are a traditional food in my hometown and everyone from my hometown can't forget the nostalgia that pancakes bring. In this project, I compare memory fragments to the components of stir-fries and wrap them in ā€˜pancakesā€™ from my hometown. Different coloured pancakes represent memory fragments of different emotions, which is the source of my sense of belonging and security.

Pancake: New Year's Eve New Year's Eve in my hometown is very lively, the streets and alleys will be hung early with big red lanterns. I remember that New Year's Eve was the most lively every year, and the children all ran to the street to set off firecrackers and fireworks. At that time, the day I was most looking forward to every year was New Year's Eve, which was the best memory of my life and the place where I belonged emotionally.

On New Year's Day 2024, I was in London, so far away from my hometown for the first time. It is only at this particular time of the New Year that I think of home and where I belong.

Pancake: My Love The few pictures rolled up in the pancakes are about my love, who came to me like an angel and stayed with me through the long nights of the London winter, in a small room, he cooked me food from home, so that for the first time had thoughts of home through food, and used it to bond with home.

We walked hand in hand through the streets of London, kissing and hugging under the Christmas tree, his arms were warm and l felt a sense of belonging in my wrapped stateā€¦