Milk is a multi channel video installation situated in a spatial arrangement. Thirty four video components interchanging on screens and monitors and reveal the story of dairy milk consumption since the industrialization. As an art project Milk focuses on the transformation and shifting of notions: the transition from the bodily to the sterile, from maternal care to the calculated, and from symbolism and virtues to activism and nationalism.
Milk takes its inspiration from the invention of the ‘spray dry’ technique: the industrial conversion of fluid milk into milk- powder. It partially follows the story of the Nestlé company, a pioneer in implementing a drying technique, specifically the breakthrough of the pharmacist-entrepreneur Henri Nestlé with his Kindermehl product.

The viewer delves into possible trajectories, guided by historical facts, with interviews and archive material. In the meantime also landing in side allies of unexpected sub-topics, visualized by 'moodboard collages' with historical and ancient references, the ecstatic bouncing of a milk-ritual, the promise of an advertisement, ideological-political events and early film material. An artistic-informative tour between macro and micro.
The motto, taken from the realm of finance-economy of reducing in order to expand, is used as a guiding thread in order to shed a light upon social-shifts entangled with dairy milk consumption. Milk examines our relation to nature, to commerce, and to ideologies.

Production update: 

In May: filmed at the Dairy-Campus, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands guided by director Aebe Alberts.
In June: filmed landscapes and cattle round Glarus, in Switzerland. Then continued towards Vevey, interviewing Alimentarium museum's curator and scholar Nicolas Godinot and Nestlé's historian Albert Pfiffner.
In July: Filmed a very special 'Seter/sœter' in Uvdal, Norway, following  lawyer and animal rights activist Iselin Gambert, who's roots trace back to that place. Made very close contact with the twelve charming cows grazing around.
End of July, filmed a very reflective interview with cultural geographer Clemens Driessen.
Beginning of August witnessed the heart of milk powder and heard it pumping, while filming at the Vreugdenhil Dairy Foods factory in Scharsterbrug, Friesland, guided by director Wouter Leijen.

- Nov. 2023 try-out exhibition  and presentation, Goethe institute, Rotterdam.
- Dec. 13 2024 opening at MU, Eindhoven with the co-production of TENT, Rotterdam. Running till mid March 2025.
- Dec. 15 Milk publication presentation at Walgenbach art+books with Iselin Gambert and Storm Lillebø Gambert.

The crew: 
Camera- Jeanne van der Horst
Sound- Dirk Bruinsma
Digital technique-  Machiel Kunst

Participating and contributing: 
Participating Norway, Kruke-Sœter - Sigrid Huseby, Ingebjørg Huseby Vøllo, Sigrid Vøllo, Stian Biong, Storm & Axel Lillebø Gambert and Unni Rauken.
Documentary advice - Stella van Voorst van Beest
Supportive- Arlinda Salihu (Nestlé), Marie Desmartis (Alimentarium), NAI-Rotterdam, Wilco de Vos (Vreugdenhil), Franziska Walt, Mimi von Moos & Willem Mes, Theo Goemaat, Piotrek Swiatkowski, Gerrit Willems, the team of the Goethe institute, Rotterdam and Rubin and Tamarah Verhoog.

Many thanks to the Culture Foundation South-Holland for the preparation period (being able to start this engine)!
The production was made possible by the Mondriaan Fund.
The post-production by the Rotterdam Art and Culture department.
And thanks again to the Culture Foundation for enabling the upcoming Milk publication! with essays by Uta Ruge, Rick Dolphijn and Iselin Gambert.
Translation- Menno Grootveld
Many thanks to the Rotterdam City Archive for the archive material!