Cooking never really had my interest (to be honest, my husband is the chef of our household) until now. As a museum guide in the Kunstmuseum I have to dive into the subject of desserts fort he recently opened exhibition Grand Dessert – The History of the Dessert. It doesn’t make me want to take over the kitchen, but it is quite interesting to learn more, for instance where the ingredients come from, what tools were used and what was popular and what not.
I have learned that also in the past, fruits were perfectly acceptable as a dessert. Not only just by themselves piled up a serving plate, but also beautifully contained in see through jelly. Creating this was quite a challenge and there was always the risk of collapsing jelly.
From working as a museum guide in the Mauritshuis, I was already familiar with the exclusiveness of a pineapple. It was in fact a female amateur botanist, Agnes Block, who was the first to succeed in growing a pineapple on the European continent. From watching Bridgerton, I learned that pineapples were terribly expensive and could even be hired by the evening or by the hour to decorate your table.
In the Grand Dessert exhibition you find beautiful tall holders so that the pineapple could be seen by every one at the table. When it was time to eat the pineapple you could serve it with much drama. Once signalled, the valet pulled the little knotted ribbon tied around the pre-cut fruit and it would open up like a flower, much to the surprise of the guests.
Another kind of decoration was made of sugar, however this was not meant to be consumed. The confectioners responsible for this type of decoration were true artisans. The confectioners could almost be considered sculptors using moulds to create the centrepieces (some of the moulds you can see on the exhibition). They shaped gardens or landscapes complete with figures made of dragant (powdered sugar hardened with tragacanth), hardened sugar syrup or marzipan. This type of decorations is no longer customary, but the art is not forgotten. Amsterdam sugar artist Natasja Sadi is stepping in their footsteps by creating the most incredible installation of sugar flowers specially for this exhibition. This is also a way of opening discussing shadow side of sugar and spices as a luxury product.
These sugar flowers are still edible, but there are more objects in the exhibition that make your mouth water but wouldn’t digest very well. For instance the crocheted desserts by Kate Jenkins or the glass desserts by Shayna Leib. Both artists create amazing pieces that look incredibly real, but which are only recognised for what they are, once you take a closer look.
The real eyecatchers, you find at the opening of the exhibition. A wall lined with bags. Yes, bags. Not ordinary bags but bags in the shape of all kinds of desserts: a macaron, a banana split, a cherry pie, or a Charlotte Russe. These bags are made from super light clay (the chain is sometimes heavier than the bag itself) and can be opened at the back. The artist, Rommydebommy, turns all kinds of food into bags and has created the dessert bags especially for this exhibition. So even if you are no foodie nor sweet tooth, these bags alone are worth visiting the exhibition for! Wendy Fossen 2nd December 2024
Grand Dessert – The History of the Dessert runs at Kunstkmuseum Den Haag until 18th April
