Aline of banana leaves topped with plastic rice and vegetables of the sort found outside Japanese restaurants trails across the room. Painted footprints rest in front of each one.
The installation, titled "Leftovers," is by Indian artist N.S. Harsha and is being exhibited in Tokyo until Sept. 15.
Harsha, who is based in the southern Indian city of Mysore, where he was born, employed Japanese technology used to make plastic food samples to recreate the food of his homeland.
Harsha has been exploring the connection between people and food for a decade.
In southern India, meals in which many items such as curry, beans and rice are served on a banana leaf are popular.
"Leftovers" recreates the aftermath of a large banquet; while the meals were all served up the same, the various personalities of each person who ate the food can be evidenced in what remains on the leaf plates.
The exhibition in Tokyo is held at Le Forum, on the eighth floor of Maison Hermes in Ginza. It is a five-minute walk from JR Yurakucho Station or two minutes from Ginza Station on the Marunouchi and Hibiya subway lines.
The exhibition is open Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. (last admission 7:30 p.m.). It closes at 7 p.m. on Sunday, and last admission is 6:30 p.m. It opens daily except July 16.
Admission is free.
For more information, call Hermes Japon Co. at (03)3569-3640.
