Cremeschnitte. Yan Jin
On Thursday 24 July from 6pm to 9pm, we open Cremeschnitte, the solo exhibition of the artist Yan Jin (Shanghai, 1987), after a two-month residency at Homesession.
Cremeschnitte is an installation composed of multiple sculptures made from readymade objects and pastry ingredients.
Found all over Eastern Europe, with slight variations known as krémes, kremówka, cremșnit,
In contrast to its many names, cremeschnitte is made from the most common ingredients – flour, sugar, egg, butter – and has the most recognizable appearance. By naming it in their own languages, people across different countries baptised it and integrated it into their local cultures.
This exhibition explores the notion that language, often unwittingly, serves as a means to distinguish one group of people from another. It examines the naming of cremeschnitte as a shibboleth for identification and how the artist, a Chinese individual living and working abroad, navigates the complexities of language, culture, and identity.
By deconstructing cremeschnitte and withholding its name, the installation reassembles its meanings – no longer a singular dessert, but a cultural structure layered with collective and personal history – inviting viewers to reflect on how shared traditions are continually remade through the personal, the political, and the material.
