Christian Philipp Müller’s Hudson Valley Tastemakers is a permanent installation on the Bard College campus that examines the specific tastes of foods resulting from the changing nature, soil, and climate of the Hudson Valley. Comprised of six ramp-planters that are filled with soil from Putnam, Dutchess, Columbia, Greene, Ulster, and Orange Counties, the project contains both planned and spontaneous vegetation. The length of each planter is determined by the proportionate farmland still available in the county. The project was originally commissioned and supported by the the Minetta Brook Foundation, and is now mainted by The Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College (CCS Bard).

The work is planted each spring with interesting agricultural crops. Harvested produce is offered to staff, students and the local community. For more information, please contact CCS Bard at 845.758.7598, write ccs@bard.edu, or visit www.bard.edu/ccs.

Taken from The New World, A Sort of Locus Amoenus by Christian Philipp Müller: The monumental volume projects obliquely from the grounds conveying the impression that it has sunk into the earth on one side. Actually, it was built as a form with increasing height, adjusted to the celestial coordinates. The volume with its trapezoid-shaped side walls was filled with earth to the brim. The steel bed, partitioned into several segments, contains plants. The overall impression of the object is that of an extended pedestal, a gangway with plants sitting on it like figures. Each segment reflects the agricultural yields of the various upstate counties. The fields are framings and embeddings in a literal sense. Putnam, Greene, Ulster, Orange, Dutchess, and Columbia present themselves from the east to the west. Before deciding on his selection of plants from the various counties, Muller talked to local farmers and acquainted himself with traditions of cultivation, as well as preferred varieties and their profitability. He especially looked into almost extinct flavors and sorts which are being replaced by more profitable ones. His interest focused on old and new taste, which is why he also titled his work “Hudson Valley Tastemakers.” Today’s economy of the Hudson Valley is mainly based on income from tourism and the taste of people who come from the City and look for recreation; the importance of agriculture has become marginal. It is rather the image of the landscape that attracts visitors.