Fort Beleg
Fort Beleg, an installation as part of KAAP an annual art event for kids in a former military bunker complex on the outskirts of Utrecht. Opens Sunday 23 May — running every weekend (saturday and sunday) until 4 July 2010.
The edible vegetation that has lain siege over the former defense zone is made into a ‘Fort Beleg’. Beleg in Dutch means both siege and sandwich spread. An inventory was made of the plants growing most prosperously on and around the fort walls (with the help of urban botanist Claud Biemans). All plants were plucked and then cooked to a conservable consistency. And so the zone of the fortress becomes one big edible Umfeld-sandwich.
There are two parts to the installation: first a moveable tasting and plant identification carriage which can be wheeled around to trace the plants and taste the living matter of the fort, also through the tastes of the other animals inhabiting the fort. And there’s the stationary part: the beleg storage set-up like a wartime pantry in a dark, damp former ammunition storage chamber. An emergency stockpile of preserved (and edible) polemobotany.
Botanist Claud verifying the discovery of a redcurrant plant with her magnifying glass
Marsh horsetail (Lidrus) identification
Cooking the Fort Beleg, not to forget forget-me-nots
Dandelion petals (thousands!) plucked and ready to stew
Sweet dead nettle flowers
Ground ivy, used as a preservative in olden times
(L-R) Dandelion, Sheep's sorrel, Hawthorn & redcurrant
The mashed fibrous remains (the juices gets cooked to jelly)
Canning some 200 jars
Fort Beleg storage chamber (back view)
Fort Beleg storage (left view)
Fort Beleg storage (right view)
More photos, Fort Beleg set
Download the sandwich map, Fort Beleg plattegrond (voor en achter) W Maas, in Dutch (pdf)