Thanks for the Memories

Capturing things in writing might not always seem like a good idea, but when it’s about capturing shared convivial moments and stories around a dining table there are always exceptions.

Francesca Zampollo, a Senior Lecturer at Auckland University of Technology and the founder of the International Food Design Society has set out to do just. Fueled by a  lifetime's work and fascination with engaging and encouraging such exchanges at a dining table she has created The Memories Cloth. Essentially a permanent way of recording those fleeting moments of shared memories around the dining table.

In it's simplest form, the Memories Cloth is a polyester tablecloth that diners can scribble ideas and thoughts on in indelible inks of four colours. At its most profound it’s a history of the of the people that have shared the table and their written thoughts.

MOLD had the opportunity to speak with the designer and educator about the importance of dining tables, and her ongoing search for meaningful food. Zampollo reveals her fascination with the 'act of eating' and the 'tablecloth, laying there, as the silent witness'. Go to Mold to read the full interview.

Fill it in in a lifetime, and then pass it on to future generations: you will be giving a piece of your family history, a piece of your life, a piece of yourself. This is the most precious and intimate gift you could give.It is an indelible picture of you, your family, your friends. This is a tablecloth about your life. This is a tablecloth for life. Zampollo tells us on her website.

Ideal for Christmas family gathering's and unusual events, probably not ideal for a meal for one.

The Memories Table Cloth Includes 4 Sharpie permanent fabric markers and comes in two sizes, Tablecloth Size: 140x200cm. Table size: 90x150cm (4 to 6 people). Go to Zampollo's website of Facebook for more info.

via Mold

If you like the idea of tables recording memories, what about tables assisting you in making memories by helping you to cook in the future kitchens  that people will remember for years to come?