Han Bennink on Cheese Kit Diptych - Part 1/3

Cheese Kit Diptych is an installation by artist Walter Willems consisting of two drum kits. In one, full rounds of real (mainly Dutch) cheese sit atop drum stands; in the other, plastic cheese replicas usually found in store display windows are employed. In this absurd setting Willems reinforces the international stereotype of the Dutch by using a classic Dutch export product as its main ingredient. Cheese Kit Diptych was created specifically to be played by world-renowned Dutch improvisational jazz drummer Han Bennink. Bennink, ambassador of the Dutch free jazz scene, is known for his ability to drum on any surface, teeming with humor, virtuosity, and creativity through his animated style. Willems considered his installation incomplete until Bennink played both of the drum kits. The drum performance by Han Bennink was recorded on June 17, 2005 at the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art where the Cheese Kit Diptych installation was a featured artwork in the Demons Stole My Soul: rock ’n roll drum