Model of the Dockyard of the Dutch East India Company at Oostenburg in Amsterdam 1988 - 1989

This scale model of the Dockyard of the Dutch East India Company in Amsterdam, made by Hans Bonke, seems to be made of wood, maybe even by hand. There's something really satisfying about the level of detail here. The way the water is suggested with subtle ripples, or the tiny variations in the ships being built – it all speaks to an incredible dedication to craft. I can imagine the hours spent carefully shaping each piece, fitting them together just so, in this world of miniature architecture. It feels like a labor of love, almost a kind of meditation. The colour palette is muted, almost monochromatic, which lends the scene a sense of timelessness. It's like looking back at a memory, softened by distance. It reminds me a bit of some of the dioramas that you find in the Natural History museum. Art is always a conversation, right? This model almost feels like a conversation with history, a way of preserving a moment in time. There’s so much ambiguity, we are left to imagine the sounds and smells of a busy dockyard. It’s a reminder that art isn't just about what's there, but what it invites us to imagine.