Under her tall, white hat
Oline Nordengaard
Oline Nordengaard
images by Oline Nordengaard
published in December 2025
in The Hague, Netherlands
edition of 35 signed copies and 10 artist proof copies
41 pages
Digitally printed on Emotion Pure White, 1.5, 120gsm by booxs
hardcover, made from three different table cloths
(blue, beige, and red)
Silkscreen printed by Biquet Studio
€35
published in December 2025
in The Hague, Netherlands
edition of 35 signed copies and 10 artist proof copies
41 pages
Digitally printed on Emotion Pure White, 1.5, 120gsm by booxs
hardcover, made from three different table cloths
(blue, beige, and red)
Silkscreen printed by Biquet Studio
€35
‘Under her tall, white hat’ is a window into two worlds that are inevitably intertwined: the kitchen of a woman who is a professional in a male dominated field and also an unapologetic person who has learned to do things her way, which is one that rarely fulfils the expectations of our patriarchal society. And the kitchen of a grandmother which becomes a space to pass on knowledge to her granddaughter who wants to understand the process behind the signature dishes that she grew up eating.
Many years ago, my grandmother was one of Denmark’s first professionally educated female chefs. As I grew older, I became fascinated by the connection between the woman who cooked for me in her home and the woman who worked in professional kitchens worldwide. What began as an attempt to learn a few cooking tips from her evolved into a deeper reflection on our bond.
This material stems from a workbook I kept while I was working on this project. In it, I glued stills from my video work and snapshots from my grandmother’s apartment and its surroundings. Over time, I realised the workbook itself held the essence of the project. By emphasizing these frozen moments, scenes from the video work, and details of her space, I revisited memories deeply embedded in me since childhood. Each image felt like a return to my secret world, where every texture, object, and emotion was shaped by experience. These memories, unaffected by time, remained alive with my younger self’s quiet observation.
The workbook became both a tool for exploration and an act of preservation. As I attempted to understand this project, it evolved into a meditation on the space and details where intergenerational exchanges unfolded: the shelf, the tool, the step stool I used as a table, balancing my soup bowl and resting my feet. While the video work preserves my grandmother’s knowledge and our shared moments, this book aims to preserve the physical and emotional space where they occurred.
Inspired by my grandmother’s collection of cookbooks - small, portable, and used more for inspiration than instruction - this book mirrors her approach. She rarely followed recipes, instead substituting ingredients and adapting them to her style. Similarly, this book invites a personal pace and interpretation, honouring the people, dishes, details, and textures that shape us.
Many years ago, my grandmother was one of Denmark’s first professionally educated female chefs. As I grew older, I became fascinated by the connection between the woman who cooked for me in her home and the woman who worked in professional kitchens worldwide. What began as an attempt to learn a few cooking tips from her evolved into a deeper reflection on our bond.
This material stems from a workbook I kept while I was working on this project. In it, I glued stills from my video work and snapshots from my grandmother’s apartment and its surroundings. Over time, I realised the workbook itself held the essence of the project. By emphasizing these frozen moments, scenes from the video work, and details of her space, I revisited memories deeply embedded in me since childhood. Each image felt like a return to my secret world, where every texture, object, and emotion was shaped by experience. These memories, unaffected by time, remained alive with my younger self’s quiet observation.
The workbook became both a tool for exploration and an act of preservation. As I attempted to understand this project, it evolved into a meditation on the space and details where intergenerational exchanges unfolded: the shelf, the tool, the step stool I used as a table, balancing my soup bowl and resting my feet. While the video work preserves my grandmother’s knowledge and our shared moments, this book aims to preserve the physical and emotional space where they occurred.
Inspired by my grandmother’s collection of cookbooks - small, portable, and used more for inspiration than instruction - this book mirrors her approach. She rarely followed recipes, instead substituting ingredients and adapting them to her style. Similarly, this book invites a personal pace and interpretation, honouring the people, dishes, details, and textures that shape us.
production
thank you to
Baroeg Mulder and Martin Gobert / Biquet Studio
book launch
5th of Decemver 2025 at The Servers in The Hague.
The launch took place in an old industrial kitchen that has been out of use for over 10 years. There was a display of the books, a small exhibtion of archive material that was not used in the sequence of the book, and a tapas menu created by Olines grandma and cooked by Oline.
All photos of the launch are taken by Jón Helgi Pálmason.
5th of Decemver 2025 at The Servers in The Hague.
The launch took place in an old industrial kitchen that has been out of use for over 10 years. There was a display of the books, a small exhibtion of archive material that was not used in the sequence of the book, and a tapas menu created by Olines grandma and cooked by Oline.
All photos of the launch are taken by Jón Helgi Pálmason.
thank you to
Gerd Nordengaard, Lyy Raitala, Jón Helgi Pálmason, Heidi Holmström, Coco Ardal, Baroeg Mulder
Gerd Nordengaard, Lyy Raitala, Jón Helgi Pálmason, Heidi Holmström, Coco Ardal, Baroeg Mulder
