Rol met wit lint met één gerafelde zijde en drie paarse horizontale strepen en een los stuk van hetzelfde lint c. 1930

This roll of white ribbon with purple stripes, origin unknown, sits in the Rijksmuseum collection, more an artifact than an artwork, perhaps? Yet the details get to me. The maker’s process is all about the weaving, of course, but also the careful wrapping. Look closely, and you’ll see the textures: the soft, frayed edge against those crisp, evenly spaced stripes. It’s such a small thing, this ribbon, but there’s a whole world of material and intention packed into it. I am intrigued by the contrast between the fuzzy and the precise. That single frayed side feels so vulnerable, so human. Like a metaphor for life, you know? This humble piece reminds me of Haim Steinbach’s shelves of found objects, elevating the everyday to the level of art. In the end, it’s a reminder that art can be found in the most unexpected places, if we just take the time to look.