This workshop is part of a SEEK Raleigh public art project, Ciba Punch 女拳手打糍粑.
Ciba Punch 女拳手打糍粑 is an ongoing participatory performance series led by the Chinese Artists and Organizers Collective (CAO). Rooted in an ethic of care, the project invites community members to join in the process of transforming steamed sticky rice into ciba (糍粑 – traditional Chinese rice cakes often enjoyed with brown sugar or other toppings) by punching the rice.
In bringing the making of Ciba into public space, the artists aim to honor and reframe the traditionally feminized labor of cooking, while highlighting food as a living archive for community connection, cultural exchange, and movement building. Participants are invited to channel emotions such as rage, grief, and love into the shared labor of food-making.
During the performance, “Spiritual Figures” will move through the space, offering quiet guidance through humming and breathwork, embodying the presence of queer/feminist ancestors and future selves.
Audience Participation
All are welcome to participate in the Ciba Punch. Sanitation gloves will be provided; however, the food produced during the performance will not be prepared under regulated food safety conditions. Consumption of the rice cakes will be at the participants’ own risk.
Event Details
Date: Sunday, Sept. 28
Time: 3 - 5 p.m.
Location: Dorothea Dix Park – grassy field next to Chapel
While free to attend, space is limited. Registration is required.