Turning the Tables

May 28, 2004 to April 3, 2005

With its beautiful place settings, elegant manners and tightly scripted social rituals, the dining table represents a world of passion, politics and savoir-faire. The exhibition Turning the Tables explores this culturally charged universe of intrigue and emotion through thematic displays of tableware and decorative arts.

Visitors to the show will recognize familiar dining situations and discover the history and significance of mealtime etiquette. The table is presented in an innovative and even theatrical way, using ingenious contemporary settings. In this realm, tabletops are the just the surface we see — they represent the decor, but also habits, gestures and rituals. Table talk exists below the surface — in the form of emotional confrontations and the exercise of power and influence. Unconventional installations, created by Antoine Laprise, evoke this complex sub-current with humour and whimsy.

An exhibition produced by the Musée de la civilisation, Québec.