Baanwielrenners met toeschouwers before 1902

This photograph of bike racers with spectators by A. Reichwein is full of fast-paced, blurred motion! I can imagine the photographer, what it must have been like to capture a moment of pure speed. The way the cyclists lean into their turns, their bodies elongated and distorted by the camera’s eye, all trying to capture a split second of action. You can almost hear the cheering crowd, a sound frozen in time. This makes me think of the Futurists, Umberto Boccioni and Giacomo Balla, who tried to capture speed in painting. They saw dynamism as a defining element of modern life, and they wanted to capture it on canvas. The way Reichwein has shot the bicycle race, feels like a conversation with these ideas. What interests me most in these kinds of works is how each artist explores movement and the ephemeral nature of time. It’s a reminder that all of us are on an ongoing journey, pushing boundaries and exploring new ways of seeing the world.