A social choreography
of meeting
of meeting
where memory becomes a shared, living process
My work unfolds through performative situations
where people meet not only each other,
but also themselves.
I create environments where shared actions —
cooking, conversation, presence —
allow memory to surface, shift,
and take new form.
These are spaces of attention,
where connection emerges through doing,
rather than speaking.
where people meet not only each other,
but also themselves.
I create environments where shared actions —
cooking, conversation, presence —
allow memory to surface, shift,
and take new form.
These are spaces of attention,
where connection emerges through doing,
rather than speaking.
how it unfolds
where this comes from
I began by working with people in social contexts in the corporate world, observing how cross-cultural communication forms — and where it breaks. Later, I moved into cultural and performative spaces, where memory became something that could be shared and transformed.
Over time, these experiences converged into a single practice —
one that brings together social work, performance, and participatory formats.
Over time, these experiences converged into a single practice —
one that brings together social work, performance, and participatory formats.
This is how Cook&Talk was born … and food became a great way to meet new people and get to know new cultures.
In Istanbul Cook&Talk is returning —
in a new form
in a new form
It began 15 years ago as gatherings in the kitchen — through food, stories, and meeting across cultures.
Today, it shifts.
From language practice to presence.
From format to experience.
From hosting to co-creating.
Cook&Talk is no longer about teaching how to cook or communicate.
It is about creating a space
where something real can happen between people.
Today, it shifts.
From language practice to presence.
From format to experience.
From hosting to co-creating.
Cook&Talk is no longer about teaching how to cook or communicate.
It is about creating a space
where something real can happen between people.
Project schedule with key milestones
June | Istanbul
7
ÇİÇEK ♥ Fest
Community driven summer neighborhood family gathering
June | Moscow
26
Cook&Talk
Performative happening for crowdfunding participants
July | Chelyabinsk
3
Cook&Talk
Performative happening for crowdfunding participants
August | Istanbul
9
Cook&Talk speaking
Turkish-Russian speaking club for parent+kid participation
August | Istanbul
23
Cook&Talk speaking
Turkish-Russian speaking club for parent+kid participation
August | Istanbul
30
Back to School Fest
Community driven autumn neighborhood family gathering
September | Istanbul
13
Cook&Talk speaking
Turkish-Russian speaking club for parent+kid participation
September | Istanbul
27
Cook&Talk speaking
Turkish-Russian speaking club for parent+kid participation
Food as art. Human as living art.
April 26, 2026 — the beginning of the Istanbul season.
Our first Cook&Talk unfolded together with Arzu Gasimova —
chef, entrepreneur, and founder of Cook Me Eat Me.
Marina quietly and attentively documented the process.
We cooked, tasted, and moved through Azerbaijani flavors:
bread with aromatic butter,
reyhan sherbet,
shah pilaf with lamb and dried fruit,
and a seasonal salad.
And somewhere between the kitchen and the table,
a conversation opened —
where each participant felt seen.
Our first Cook&Talk unfolded together with Arzu Gasimova —
chef, entrepreneur, and founder of Cook Me Eat Me.
Marina quietly and attentively documented the process.
We cooked, tasted, and moved through Azerbaijani flavors:
bread with aromatic butter,
reyhan sherbet,
shah pilaf with lamb and dried fruit,
and a seasonal salad.
And somewhere between the kitchen and the table,
a conversation opened —
where each participant felt seen.
2012 Pop up Cook&Talk with Andrew Grenfell (UK)
Cook&Talk brings a person into the centre —
as a carrier of culture, story, and lived experience.
as a carrier of culture, story, and lived experience.
2013 Home Cook&Talk with Ercan Akkoyun (Turkey)
A small and intimate gathering —
where a shared atmosphere gently connects introverts and extroverts.
where a shared atmosphere gently connects introverts and extroverts.
My way: between now and then
Not a timeline, but a way back through memory
“
To be seen is to be met —
not for what we do,
but for who we are.
not for what we do,
but for who we are.
Yulia Razumova
founder of Cook&Talk
founder of Cook&Talk
These moments were held and documented by
Valentina Iartseva, Olga Kapustina, Ekaterina Moneva, Anastasia Klepova, Alexandr Kabanov, Andrew Lyubishin, Mikhail Ivanov
Valentina Iartseva, Olga Kapustina, Ekaterina Moneva, Anastasia Klepova, Alexandr Kabanov, Andrew Lyubishin, Mikhail Ivanov