Penning van de negende Olympiade (Olympische Spelen) te Amsterdam, 1928 met bijbehorende doos 1928

Editor: So, this is a medal commemorating the Ninth Olympiad in Amsterdam, 1928, designed by Johannes Cornelis Wienecke. It seems to be made of metal, and the design is surprisingly detailed for something so small. I am curious: How do you interpret this work, given its historical context? Curator: This medal speaks volumes about the social and political landscape of the 1920s. It's not just a celebration of athletic achievement; it is an attempt to forge international unity after the ravages of World War I. Medals like these often present a sanitized, idealized version of events, wouldn't you agree? Editor: Yes, absolutely! The imagery feels deliberate: the winged figure, the stadium… it's all quite grand. But is there a hidden side to the representation? Curator: Precisely! The choice to depict Amsterdam as the host city, a symbol of neutrality during the war, hints at a desire to re-establish normalcy and hope. But who is this "normalcy" for? Who gets to participate, and whose narratives are excluded in this pursuit of unity and progress? Editor: That is something I never would have picked up on. You're saying we need to consider who is missing from this celebratory image? Curator: Exactly! We have to examine what this seemingly universal symbol of sportsmanship conceals. The stories not told. Considering that period, which nations, which groups, and which ideologies may not have been fully welcomed into the Olympic spirit? Editor: I hadn't thought of the Olympics in terms of exclusion and dominance, I mostly thought of it in terms of… the competition, of course. Now I’m curious to look into the political tensions of the time, and how that period shaped these games. Curator: Excellent! Thinking about these medals as more than commemorative objects opens up richer, more complex understandings. We see how intertwined art, politics, and social narratives truly are.