For a Vosgian bog butter
- Green beech log.
- Butter.
- Wax.
- Flax.
- Incarnation.
- ~35 x 15 cm.
- Culinary curiosity.
- Green beech log.
- Butter.
- Wax.
- Flax.
- Incarnation.
- ~35 x 15 cm.
- Culinary curiosity.
︎
This culinary curiosity, created for the 11th Sentier des Passeurs Contemporary Art Biennial, is the result of a collaborative effort involving many local residents and stakeholders. The idea is to use this artwork as a way to share time, knowledge, and curiosity around an unusual practice originating in Ireland: bog butter.
This practice involves burying butter in a peat bog (usually inside a wooden container) to preserve it. It was later discovered, upon finding some lost specimens, that this method of storage also gives the butter a distinctive flavor, as it matures in an anaerobic environment.
Thus, creating this work required the expertise of several people, each of whom, through their craftsmanship, contributed to the creation of a piece that seeks to bring together the histories, encounters, and commonalities of the Vosges, Alsace, and Ireland.
There are also plans for all of us to gather in the spring of 2027—one year after the burial—for the exhumation of the butter, so that everyone can taste this strange creation at a public event that will be a time for sharing and fellowship.
I would like to thank the following people for their participation:
And also:
And especially Charlène Chemin, who helped me throughout the project and for whom I have deep affection.
Attached is the text written for the biennial:
“Bog butter has its origins in Ireland during the Iron Age. Recontextualized to give tangible form to the connections between Alsace, the Vosges, and Ireland, it will be unearthed next year and transformed into a culinary delicacy that explores the contemporary use of a migratory heritage, all while leaving an unusual impression on the palates of the most curious.”
This practice involves burying butter in a peat bog (usually inside a wooden container) to preserve it. It was later discovered, upon finding some lost specimens, that this method of storage also gives the butter a distinctive flavor, as it matures in an anaerobic environment.
Thus, creating this work required the expertise of several people, each of whom, through their craftsmanship, contributed to the creation of a piece that seeks to bring together the histories, encounters, and commonalities of the Vosges, Alsace, and Ireland.
There are also plans for all of us to gather in the spring of 2027—one year after the burial—for the exhumation of the butter, so that everyone can taste this strange creation at a public event that will be a time for sharing and fellowship.
I would like to thank the following people for their participation:
- Benoît Mangin, a professional cheese refiner, for his help in preparing the butter.
- Jean-François Gavotti for his invaluable help with the container and the photos.
- Stéphane Moutenet for providing local wood and helping to place the log in the barrel.
- Morgane Ihuel from La Petite Ferme in Hurbache, who provided the cream.
- Pierre and Eugénie Ropp for allowing me to store 5 kilos of butter in their cold storage room.
And also:
- Simon Dargent, Tania Klimov, Delphine Gatinois, Élodie Lesigne, Loïc Leclerc, Katia Brandel, and Jean-François Touron for their help, support, and hospitality.
And especially Charlène Chemin, who helped me throughout the project and for whom I have deep affection.
Attached is the text written for the biennial:
“Bog butter has its origins in Ireland during the Iron Age. Recontextualized to give tangible form to the connections between Alsace, the Vosges, and Ireland, it will be unearthed next year and transformed into a culinary delicacy that explores the contemporary use of a migratory heritage, all while leaving an unusual impression on the palates of the most curious.”
