Belgische ridderorde (Leopoldsorde), ontvangen door Willem Drees c. 1950 - 1960

This navy box, containing the Belgian Order of Leopold, received by Willem Drees, feels so formal, but in a way that’s about to fall apart. I love the single piece of yellow tape in the top corner. I imagine someone applying it without thinking, and that little square of colour is what holds the whole thing together. The texture of the box is so delicate, almost like skin, worn smooth in places. It's the kind of object that wants to tell you a story, even though it’s just a container. You can see where it's been handled, where the colour has faded, all those imperfections that reveal something about the past. And then that tiny metal clasp, struggling to keep everything inside, it’s like a little moment of tension. It makes me think of Joseph Cornell, those boxes filled with mysterious objects and memories, or maybe even a little bit of Kurt Schwitters, finding beauty in the everyday. Art isn't always about grand gestures; sometimes, it’s about the quiet stories we find in the things we overlook.