Krantenknipsel uit archief Philip Zilcken Possibly 1910 - 1916

Curator: Here we have "Krantenknipsel uit archief Philip Zilcken," a newspaper clipping from the Philip Zilcken archive. It's estimated to be from between 1910 and 1916, and is currently held in the Rijksmuseum. As a print utilizing typography, it provides such a fascinating textural surface. Editor: It gives a melancholic feel to me; like salvaged ephemera whispering stories of a bygone era. Curator: Absolutely. We see this fragment as evidence of Rodin engaging with contemporary discourses. His authorship complicates our traditional ideas of canonicity within fine arts. What power structures influenced Rodin's artistic pursuits, leading to the reproduction of work like this newspaper excerpt? And why privilege this source over, perhaps, sources that are less accessible within Western European frameworks? Editor: From a materialist lens, the printmaking itself underscores issues surrounding production. The physical act of creating and dispersing typography through this accessible medium surely underscores that art doesn't exist solely on a pedestal. We have to acknowledge the class implications embedded in something disseminated so broadly. It’s no mere decoration; the form makes arguments itself! Curator: That's what stands out most. Who consumes this? Who writes the stories recorded? As well, in what other unseen locations did this article appear? Who benefitted financially from this consumption? Even with a figure as canonical as Rodin in mind, that is just part of what this work means! We cannot disentangle questions of art and aesthetics from questions of economic and political realities. Editor: This really makes me reflect on how seemingly humble artifacts challenge definitions surrounding "art," by compelling a rethinking of class, production, and reception, opening perspectives, through material form. Curator: Yes, and interrogating how our social narratives actively weave themselves in and out of art is key.