Boekweit en zijd
(Buckwheat and beyond)
Olfactory art project on buckwheat 2024
“Wijd en zijd ' (Far and wide) is a Dutch expression that indicates that something is everywhere, spreads over a great distance,
or extends to distant places.
-
Buckwheat olfactory art objects
-
Olfactory art video 'Memories of Buckwheat': an olfactory art collaboration with Hisako Inoue (JP) ; Scent experiences of buckwheat in the Netherlands and Japan
-
The 'Buckwheat Bouquet': a collaboration perfume made with residents of Hilversum for Hilversum 600 (in progress)
-
Smellmap 'Boekweit en zijd'
-
Buckwheat, land and bees: plan for buckwheat field on Drakenburg estate (in progress)
The project in short:
Olfactory art project 'Boekweit en zijd' (Buckwheat and beyond) introduces the visitor to buckwheat in an artistic, multi-sensory way. The olfactory experience of buckwheat is the heart of the project.
There is a scent art installation consisting of an art video, objects, and tapestries inspired by the growth and bloom of buckwheat and the memories associated with it.
Historical stories about buckwheat, bees, and buckwheat honey are also featured. In celebration of Hilversum's 600th anniversary, a participatory perfume called 'Buckwheat Bouquet' is being developed, incorporating natural aromatic plants from Hilversum, Baarn, and the surrounding area.
A smell map has been created for this purpose. Additionally, work is underway to establish a small buckwheat field on the Drakenburg estate in Baarn. The entire process of plowing, sowing and growing has been documented and will be also on display at the exhibition.
Extensive description of the project
NB: This page is regularly updated with the latest developments.
On May 13th, I was on NH Radio to talk about the 'Buckwheat Bouquet,' a perfume with natural scents from the Hilversum and Baarn area.
Listen to the broadcast (NL) and VOTE!
Detailed description of the project
Olfactory storytelling
Storytelling is a technique for situations for which you want to generate attention, by using stories to bring this situation into a recognizable form. People can identify much more strongly with stories than with abstract language. This is an important aspect of storytelling because it can evoke emotions and involvement, which makes the message more effective. Smell is the only sense that has a direct connection with the part of the brain where our emotions and memories are located. Through olfactory storytelling, in addition to the visual story (art), there is scent to reinforce the story.
For this project, I am bringing attention to part of (Dutch) Hilversum's intangible (olfactory) heritage through olfactory storytelling: the fragrant story of buckwheat in all its facets. In the Hilversum coat of arms we see four buckwheat grains that were the inspiration for this art project.
Art Project Buckwheat and Beyond
Told through scent and taste, Buckwheat and Beyond explores buckwheat as a sustainable and historically significant source of nourishment — for both humans and bees — and is expressed in multiple forms. The installation consists of an art video, (olfactory) tapestries and objects, and a participatory perfume inspired by the growth and flowering of the buckwheat plant. A real buckwheat field has also been cultivated as part of the project.
The art video Memories of Buckwheat not only explores our relationship with buckwheat as a fragrant food, but also reflects on the historical connection between Japan and the Netherlands. These two countries share a long and layered relationship. Buckwheat — a pseudo-cereal — has been and still is a key nutritional source in both cultures.
In the video, people in the Netherlands and Japan were invited to smell various buckwheat-based products and share their personal memories. During the exhibition, visitors are invited to smell these same scents and add their own recollections in the Memory Book.
The Buckwheat Bouquet — a regional environmental perfume for the Hilversum–Baarn area, with a heart note of buckwheat — was created in collaboration with local residents (see map: Smellmap).
The planting of a real buckwheat field has now been completed. The full cycle — plowing, sowing, flowering, and ripening — has been documented in a short film.
Olfactory art video 'Memories of Buckwheat': an olfactory art collaboration with Hisako Inoue (JP)
In this video I collaborated with my Japanese olfactor art colleague Hisako Inoue from Tokyo.
Japan and the Netherlands have a long and historical bond. Buckwheat is a (pseudo) grain that was and is an important source of nutrition in both the Netherlands and Japan.
People from different age groups and backgrounds were approached for the video. Hisako interviewed people in Japan while I did this in the Netherlands. Both the Dutch and Japanese 'test' (smell) subjects were offered preparations of buckwheat dishes in which we recorded the personal expression of the smell and taste experience of buckwheat. We see and hear personal stories and memories that the smell and taste have evoked; “Memories of Buckwheat'.
Through this video we connect worlds that are so different outwardly, but at the same time show us all from our human need for food and appreciating it; smelling and tasting.
'Anne- Marie sniffing', Still from 'Memories of Buckwheat' Image: Claudia de Vos - Hilversum.media
During the video, the visitor can also smell the various buckwheat preparations that the participants also smelled.
What is your memory?
The visitor can share this in our guestbook at the exhibition.
The first visitors have now shared their personal stories and memories, which can be read on this page at the end of the project.
CREDITS
The ART video was made possible by Hilversum.media (Hilversum, Netherlands) and ONO point ART Space (Tokyo, Japan).
With thanks to our participants who kindly allowed themselves to be filmed, in order of appearance:
Maen, Nikki van Biemen, Hiroaki Hattori. Stefan Snijders, Anne-Marie Nijs, Rintaro Hara, Andy Heitinga, Agnes Meijs and Youichi Seito.
TO GALLERY:
Visitors experience the video during the premiere of Memories of Buckwheat in Loods 6 in Amsterdam.
Making of 'Memories of Buckwheat': Claudia with participant Maen in the studio of Hilversum.media
Hilversum's collaboration environmental perfume 'Buckwheat bouquet'
The scents used for the 'Buckwheat bouquet' come from aromatic oils of plants and essences of natural materials.
For the design of the environmental perfume, I have chosen natural scents from plants that can be associated with nature in and around Hilversum, or actually grow here, with the scent of Buckwheat at the heart. Buckwheat itself does not have a strong smell, but is mainly used as a 'carrier' of scents. Roasted, buckwheat has a nutty scent, and when freshly harvested, notes of hay emerge.
See the ' SMELLMAP' for an overview of the locations and the scents.
In the near future, the residents of and around Hilversum will be presented with a selection of these plant scents. Everyone can express his or her preference and indicate which scent belongs in the 'Buckwheat bouquet'. This way you influence the final composition of the ambient perfume.
You can indicate your preference by completing a form after smelling the scents. Based on the votes, the final ratio of the scent is generated.
Do you want to vote? See dates and locations
'Buckwheat bouquet' - the environmental perfume of Hilversum - will be presented at the opening of the exhibition 'Boekweit en zijd' in autumn 2024.
SMELLMAP
Overview of scents from nature in and around Hilversum
The Boekweit en zijd smellmap is based on natural scents that can be found in and around the Hilversum and Baarn area. The scents have been selected for use in the 'Buckwheat bouquet'; a combined environmental perfume that residents in and around Hilversum and Baarn can vote on. The scents come from aromatic oils of plants and essences of natural materials. On the map, you can find the locations where you can find the smell.
SMELLMAP
A Smellmap is a way to map smells in an environment.
Kate McLean (PHD, UK) has done extensive research into this. I would like to thank her for her intensive work and inspiration to raise awareness of odor experiences from the environment in this way.
Would you like to vote on the 'Buckwheat bouquet'?
Dates and locations:
.jpg)
Koptekst 4
Klik op de afbeelding om te vergroten
The Buckwheat field
Fragrant buckwheat and happy bees on a sustainable estate
Estate Drakenburg, Baarn
May 1st to May 14th
May 14th- June 4th
Plowing
The buckwheat field project has now started! First, ecologist Job from the Drakenburg team identified the most suitable piece of land for the buckwheat. Once the location was chosen, on May 14th, gardener Wilco, with much effort and determination, used a hand plow (a type of walk-behind tractor) to plow the future field of approximately 100 m². The soil was then raked clean and is now allowed to 'rest' for a while.
Preparing the seedbed
After the resting period, the field will be worked over again with the hand plow (Wilco: "To get it nice and dark"), and then the 'weeds' will be hoed away.
Meanwhile, our bees on the estate are busy planning to swarm. It is our job to manage this properly by splitting the busiest hive into two colonies.
June 5th
Sowing
The weather was favorable, and the buckwheat has been sown! A small handful for an entire field—how do you manage that, I asked Wilco? The seed is mixed with sand to create a spreadable quantity. Then, following a pattern, the mixture is lightly tossed around until it's all used up. Now we wait to see if the buckwheat will germinate!
June 17th
Germinating
Will the field start to germinate after the heavy rains of the past few weeks?
I go there full of anticipation, on my knees with my nose in the soil.
And then I see: yes indeed, the first buckwheat plants are already poking their heads above the ground!
Augustus
Growing and blooming
If everything goes as we hope, the bees will soon be able to feast on the buckwheat. How amazing would it be to smell (and maybe even taste) the buckwheat in their honey!
September
Ripening and Food
The buckwheat field has been almost completely eaten by all the animals in the area. The wild and honey bees have feasted on the nectar, as can be seen in the mini-documentary.
The nutty flavour of the buckwheat was certainly noticeable in the honey. We also discovered with the wildlife camera that the deer and hares liked to feast on the buckwheat. You can watch the mini-documentary on my
geurambassadeur-Youtube kanaal.
With thanks to: Landgoed Drakenburg Baarn ; management Miriam Besteman and team (realization of the field),
gardener Wilco Busstra (execution), Video: drone images: Hilversum.media
Project review
The Project "Buckwheat and Beyond"
The Buckwheat and Silk project was one that continued to evolve throughout its development; increasingly, connections emerged between the various objects, stories, and scents, culminating in the final exhibition presentation. The “cherry on the buckwheat cake” was undoubtedly the realization of a small buckwheat field. It served as a source of inspiration and revealed an important insight: buckwheat is appreciated not only by humans, but perhaps even more so by animals. And that’s perfectly fine. They thoroughly enjoyed it.
The project earned an honorable place in the book “Ecospirituality: On the Path Toward Planetary Health” by Hans Alma. Hans Alma is Professor of Spiritual Care and Religious-Humanist Meaning-Making at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
ABOUT THE BOOK
"The ecological crisis we now face is often explained from an economic perspective, and solutions are typically sought in technology. However, Hans Alma argues that the crisis is fundamentally about how we relate to the world — it is, at its core, a crisis of meaning.
Alma makes a case for an earth-based spirituality that helps us reconnect with nature and our place on this planet. In order to restore the Earth’s health, we must realize that we live within a holistic, interdependent system — one we can never fully understand or control."
In the book, she describes the Buckwheat and Beyond project as a form of ecopoetic expression:
"Can we also break destructive patterns through our eating habits? With this project — where scent and taste play such a central role — we hope to evoke experiences that touch deeper layers of awareness, helping people find wisdom in their everyday choices. It is an example of ecopoetic expression that can energize visitors toward transformative action."
The Buckwheat and Beyond Project
during the exhibition 'Connecting Scents', Berg en Dal in Baarn
September 12 -December 8, 2024
Première Olfactory Art video ' Buckwheat memories'
Loods 6 Amsterdam, 19 april 2024