Vijftigjarig bestaan van de Nederlandsch-Indische Spoorwegmaatschappij 1913

Here is the medal, celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the Dutch East Indies Railway Company, made by Johannes Cornelis Wienecke. You know, when I look at this, I imagine the artist, Wienecke, hunched over his workspace, meticulously carving away at the metal. There's a real sense of precision and intention, but also, I think, of something emerging, something found through the making. The goddess figure at the center feels so assured, so solid, but I bet she wasn't always there, fully formed. He probably worked and reworked her, each cut and line a step closer to her final form. I imagine Wienecke thinking about progress, about connection, about the power of industry. It's a lot to pack into one little medal. The way the goddess holds her arms open, with those rays of light and the turning wheel behind her, it’s like she’s embracing the future. This piece is having a chat with other works across time and space. Each artwork is a part of the conversation that is still ongoing today.