Bert Scholten : dat speelt hier niet

I made this record while tracing back the customs around the speculaas- or koekplank. These wooden boards with woodcuts are used to press dough into to create a human or animal shape, which is then knocked out of its mold and baked. This huge biscuit was used for Dutch social rituals.
A biscuit in the shape of a man (‘koekvrijer’) was given as a public proposal, while an animal-shaped biscuit was gifted to a friend containing ambiguous hidden meanings. The latter often a critique towards the receiver on a very personal, non- political level. These gestures somehow lay bare social structures; of our families, friends, and of a space where language is obsolete.
But, just as the recipes for the dough, the customs have changed over time. As many of the meanings have faded, I wanted to create new ones. I wrote many songs over the last few years, which I sang for people, exhibited, made into videos, and recordings. As ways to find new spaces, shapes, and participants for these traditions. Is it possible to (re-)shape folklore? This is my first attempt. ––Bert