De verbinding Holland-Indië voorheen en thans (1928) 1928

Henk Etienne made this bronze medal called "The connection between Holland and the Dutch East Indies in the past and present" in 1928. When I look at this circular object, I think about the artist carefully considering both sides, the front, and the back, thinking about the relationship of one side to the other. The artist must have turned the medal around and around in their hands, puzzling over how it felt to hold it. I imagine Etienne carefully drawing out the image of the ship that is permanently harbored at sea. The sails are full of wind, just like the artist's imagination. There is something romantic about ships, voyages, and the sea. It's an ode to discovery, but also to what happens when different cultures encounter one another. Artists across time have played with these same themes, each adding their own personal perspective to the conversation. Like a message in a bottle, the artwork sails across time and space.