De vestiging van het Nederlands gezag in Indie herdacht, 1902 after 1902

Johan Melchior Faddegon made this medal in 1902, memorializing Dutch authority in the Indies. It's kind of a funny thing, making a medal. It's so material, so solid and heavy, yet it’s all about something that is not there anymore. Look at the lion, a symbol of strength. It's perched on this architectural base, like it’s guarding something precious. The lines are so clear, almost hard, which gives it a sense of permanence, but the bronze also has a softness. There's a tension between these two things. My eye keeps going to the lion’s mane. Each strand seems carefully placed, yet it all blends together, like a controlled chaos. It mirrors how history is made, right? All these individual actions and decisions that build into a grand narrative. Medals like these are interesting. It makes me think about other artists who deal with history and symbolism in their work, like maybe Nancy Spero, but in a totally different way. I love how art can hold so many layers of meaning. You can keep looking and never really find the end of it.