Letters from l’appartement 49C: Fragments, Food & Slowing Down

Dining as Memory: A Recap

On May 9, we hosted our first-ever culinary collaboration: a 7-course dining experience curated by chef Janessa Wong, in conversation with the works from Fragments in Our Home. Each dish was inspired by 2–3 artworks, translating themes of diaspora, ritual, and tenderness into flavors and textures.

From the warm French toast with sausage rice cake crumble to the 36-hour pozole and the ritz cracker + chocolate semifreddo ice cream sandwich, each course felt like an artwork in itself—a conversation between senses.

It was a risk (we weren’t sure if anyone would come for food and art), but it reminded us of why apt49c exists: to create intimate spaces where memory, beauty, and community can meet.

Opening Reflections

On May 10, over 100 people gathered in our 500 sq ft home for the opening of Fragments in Our Home.

One of our favorite moments from the afternoon was watching everyone slow down to stamp and write postcards by hand. Each one was addressed to a friend, family member, or someone missed. Today, they were all mailed out. If you wrote one, your loved one will likely receive it in the next few days. It felt like a quiet way of extending the exhibition beyond our walls. Through care, correspondence, and a bit of slowness.

From Keerim Kim’s delicate paintings to Jialei Cici Liu’s textural oil paintings and Amanda Dorval’s beaded family tapestry, each work held a quiet resonance. If you couldn’t join us for the opening, we’ll be sharing more photos on IG soon… We are also open till May 31st by appointment so feel free to dm or email us to schedule a visit or inquire about available works! In the meantime, here’s a favourite detail from the show.

Featured Artwork:
Cracker Clock by Jisu Han Jung
Cherry wood, clock mechanism
A meditation on time, its rituals, absurdities, and the quiet ticking of daily life.

Community Spotlight

If you’re gallery hopping this month, don’t miss:

Devin Düster — Before I Go, Moving On @ Andrew Reed Gallery, 35 Lispenard Street, NYC
On view through June 14

In Before I Go, Moving On, Devin Düster’s paintings linger in that quiet, in-between space. Where memory, place, and time blur like reflections on glass. What moved me most weren’t just the windows and doors depicted on canvas, but the care embedded around them: the hand-built wooden frames, each lovingly crafted by Devin, stained and joined with the same attentiveness as the paintings themselves. Some hold small embedded details that feel like soft footnotes or quiet whispers. It’s this sensitivity to both structure and story that makes the work resonate so deeply.

A Quiet Recommendation

Alberto Giacometti — Time Passes Too Soon: Family Letters

This newly published volume gathers Giacometti’s letters to his parents, written weekly over the course of his life. It’s an astonishing portrait of an artist deeply rooted in love, family, and the daily practice of becoming.

From his surrealist years in Paris to his postwar figurative turn, the book unveils not only an artistic journey, but a personal one: full of doubts, devotion, and deep care.