Bouwwerkzaamheden in Brussel, België 1912

This is a photograph by Wesseling, called Bouwwerkzaamheden in Brussel, België; it captures a construction site in Brussels. You get the sense that Wesseling saw artmaking as a process, an ongoing act of building and rebuilding. What’s striking is the texture, that rough, grainy surface which feels almost sculptural, and the limited colour palette, all those tones of gray and brown, really bring a feeling of urban grit. It’s interesting, the way the photograph captures the cranes towering over the building. They're like ghostly figures, actively participating in the construction. It reminds us that art is never really finished. It’s always in the process of becoming. It's an image which recalls the work of Bernd and Hilla Becher, known for their black and white photographs of industrial buildings. Wesseling invites us to reflect on art as a conversation across time. A conversation which celebrates the imperfect, the ambiguous, and the many possibilities for interpretation.