Diagonalen 1967

Editor: So here we have "Diagonalen," a 1967 relief by Jan Schoonhoven. Looking at this grid of squares bisected by diagonals… it’s almost hypnotic, isn't it? What strikes you most when you look at this, like, really look at it? Curator: Ah, "Diagonalen"... I'm immediately drawn into the conversation it has with light and shadow, which creates these little origami-like folds in the piece. But let's dig a little deeper. Can you feel the influence of Concrete Art in Schoonhoven's pursuit of pure form and structure, that interest in reduction to the essentials? Do you notice how it verges on the mathematical? Editor: I can see the order in it, definitely. So Concrete Art moved away from representing the real world and focused on the artwork being self-referential? How radical! Curator: Precisely. Schoonhoven’s work dances in this fascinating intersection of art and architecture, don't you think? What sort of presence does it seem to emanate? Editor: It feels strangely calm. Very clean, structured, almost like a… a minimalist city viewed from above! Curator: A bird's-eye view – what a poetic interpretation! Schoonhoven’s work is like that, he challenges you to bring something of yourself to complete its meaning. Editor: It’s amazing to think how much emotion can be wrung from something that seems so detached at first glance. I will think about that sense of detached perspective when I look at things going forward. Curator: Agreed, every time you look at this piece it is altered by how you’re viewing it, an objective starting point for infinite introspection. A real dialogue unfolds!