Churro-Memory Exchange

On Sunday, July 28, we have organized a public art interaction in the Turar Ryskulov park of Taraz. The park is remembered by many residents of the city as the only place where children could enjoy various rides such as carousels, miniature trains, bumper cars, swings, etc. Generations of children would come to the park on weekends, accompanied by their parents and grandparents. Over the course of a few hours, the children would be hopping from one ride to another while parents and grandparents patiently stand in line for tickets and buy their children ice-creams, lemonades and various toys. The trip would commonly be memorialized by a group photograph taken by the park’s photographer. Some came to the park every weekend, while for others this was a once-a-year event. 

We set up a table near one of the entrances of the park featuring a tray of churros that we prepared the night before. Our intention was to offer churros, a typical sweet for many Latin American countries, in exchange for the memories of park visitors about their childhood memories. The rationale was to elicit memories as a device for excavating layers of memory connected to one’s core values and to most intimate identification with the city.

With the help of many collaborators as well as the kind permission of the park administration to set up our stand, we spent three hours soliciting memories and interacting with the public. As in our previous projects, some people shied away from the interaction while others stopped by and generously shared their opinions and memories. Whereas the children were eyeing the churros dunked in hot chocolate and home-made dulce de leche, the parents were searching their memories and describing the changes that they have observed since their childhood. We even had a wedding party come through and share their memories of spending a few romantic dates in the park. In the process, we learned quite a few precious recollections about the park, the city, and pastime. Whereas some people told about the park itself, others talked about their memories of childhood. One woman nostalgically reminisced about the special aura of all the games and flavors during the era of deficit in contrast to her own kids’ childhood of full access to toys, computer games, and any kind of sweet imaginable.