Commensality and the Indian Ocean
November 9, 2018

True to the nature of hospitality, community and knowledge sharing of the region, the Department of Mapping Margins begins the journey of the Biennial by finding our multiple centers that define what it means to be here. Starting at the Heart of Sharjah, this mapping will begin with an exploration of, around, and through vernacular design. Following that, guests are invited to dinner that reflects one of the many ways to understand a city like Sharjah, and that is through a community that has a history in the region. The Bohra business community of the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean, originally hailing from Gujarat, India, maintain major population hubs, history, and flavors in North and East Africa, South Asia and Middle East, particularly the Gulf. Honoring the tradition of eating together as a way to build community, the Department of Mapping Margins hosts a traditional Bohra thaal dinner, followed by an Emirati Majlis for tea and desert.

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