Melk

During the Year of the Farm in 2003, Natasa Heydra and Rufus Ketting created the installation Melk (Milk), a poetic ode to the vanishing Dutch rural landscape. The setup was deliberately “fake,” precisely to highlight the authenticity and value of the real surroundings.

Mothership acted as curator and managed the project. The power of ‘Melk’ lay in its stillness: the imagery and subtle sound collage — blending tranquility, tenderness, and the looming threat of a disappearing landscape — invited reflection. Visitors were confronted with what was at risk of being lost and often reacted emotionally or with surprise: “We’ve lived here for so long, but we’ve never seen it like this.” The installation achieved its purpose: it moved people, made them pause, and encouraged them to look again — this time with different eyes.