The Art of Family Time
Take a quick glance around you when dining out and you’ll notice a familiar sight - families with their children together at a table, hunched in silence as they keep themselves busy with their mobile phones and iPads. As working professionals who spend one third of our waking hours at work, quality time with our loved ones is a precious commodity. A survey conducted by charity group Focus on the Family showed that 70% of parents with young children felt that they are too busy to spend time with their children during the pandemic. Yet in our free time, most of us are guilty of choosing to use our phones to catch up on social media or play games, instead of being present with our loved ones.
In an era where technology often divides us, The Art of Family Time is a participatory art experience designed to reunite families through the universal languages of food and mark-making. The installation captures the fleeting moments of connection and conversation that occur during mealtime, preserving the memories and emotions that flow across the table. As families share meals and create marks on the tablecloth, the stains and imprints accumulate, weaving a tangible tapestry of their time together. By embracing the imperfections and impermanence of these moments, we rediscover the beauty of human connection in the digital age. As their hands are kept busy making art in each other’s company, families distanced by technology learn how to connect with one another and spend quality time together.
In an era where technology often divides us, The Art of Family Time is a participatory art experience designed to reunite families through the universal languages of food and mark-making. The installation captures the fleeting moments of connection and conversation that occur during mealtime, preserving the memories and emotions that flow across the table. As families share meals and create marks on the tablecloth, the stains and imprints accumulate, weaving a tangible tapestry of their time together. By embracing the imperfections and impermanence of these moments, we rediscover the beauty of human connection in the digital age. As their hands are kept busy making art in each other’s company, families distanced by technology learn how to connect with one another and spend quality time together.
This film is part of NAC’s exclusive series of stories on ‘The Arts Can Inspire Your Everyday’,
which showcases how the arts can positively impact our everyday.
In the words of a mother who participated in the activity,
“At the end of the day, our kids just want us to be present in their lives.
It’s how much time Mummy and Daddy spends with them that really matters.”