Wereldtentoonstelling te Brussel 1910 1910

This bronze medal was made in 1910 by Godefroid Devreese to commemorate the World's Fair in Brussels. It is a small object, but there is so much going on, so much to see. The surface has a beautiful, even tone, but when you look closely you can see the marks made by the artist, like the way he defined the muscles of the horse, or the folds in the robes. It's not about perfection, it is about how the light catches the surface and how the forms emerge from the material. Look at how the figure on horseback seems to stride purposefully towards the future, while on the other side, we see a scene of exchange and offering, like the passing of knowledge. I love the way that Devreese brings these two sides together into a single object. Think of it as a conversation, not just between the different images, but between the artist and the viewer, and between us and the past. It reminds me of the work of someone like Constantin Meunier, who was also interested in depicting labor and industry through sculpture. Art is an ongoing dialogue, a way of seeing and thinking that evolves over time, always open to new interpretations and possibilities.