MUTTER ERNST SAID NO 

2011 part of Parallel Boarders curated by Mark Mangion 

I organised a 24-hour exchange of two photographs between two longstanding restaurants in Frankfurt am Main: Da Cimino Pizzeria, founded by Italian "guest-worker" immigrants, and Adolf Wagner Apfelwein Kneipe, a traditional German/Frankfurt restaurant. These establishments are linked by tram line No. 16. I then invited a group of artist friends to join me on a culinary journey aboard the No. 16 Tram, where we indulged in delicious pizza and Handkäs with Musik—a pungent cheese topped with chopped onions—and admired the exchanged photographs in their temporary new homes.

The first photograph from Da Cimino depicts the current owner, Mario, as a baby seated on the restaurant counter surrounded by male members of his family. Captured in the early 1970s, this image has adorned the restaurant's walls ever since. The second photograph from Adolf Wagner showcases the current owners, Sabine and her husband, dressed in traditional Karneval princess and prince costumes. Taken in the 1990s, this photo has also been a fixture on their wall for years.

During our gathering, longtime customers of both establishments noticed the swap and shared stories about their frequent visits to each restaurant and their fondness for both the traditional German/Frankfurt cuisine and the pizzeria established by guest workers. This experience highlighted how the simple act of coming together to enjoy and share delicious food transcends cultural barriers, uniting us despite our differences.

Story told to me by one of the employees of Da Cimino

"This one here, he is cheeky. Salvatore he is the worst one of them. He worked in our kitchen. One day he cleaned up in the evening and he noticed the Tortellini were finished, he decided to cook some, so he would not have to get up earlier in the morning to do it. But then his friend rushed him, cause they wanted to go to some disco. So they forgot the Tortellini on the stove. When they came in in the morning the Tortellini had cooked the whole night. The chef, the one right here, Mario came in a bit later. When Salvatore saw him he said to him totally cool: "Hey Mario I already cooked the Tortellini". Mario tried and replied just as cool: "Delicious, lets use them today.”