Reserve

Antwerp, 1993

Reserve is inspired by the depot of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp, a beautiful nineteenth century ‘palace’ for art. In the depot, also called a reserve in Belgium, dozens of nineteenth-century pedestals were stored. The period during which the first museums were built, works of art were purchased, collections were created and an individual pedestal was made for each unique work. 

Eight pedestals were taken from the depot, restored and put on display together with a newly created matching mould. The pedestal serves the art, just as the mold serves the form. Neither is intended to be exhibited. 

Instead of sculptures, dark blue plexiglas plates were applied to the pedestals. The glass plates reflect both the viewer and the space in which they stand. The viewer now seeing seeing both his own reflection in the deep blue and everything that can essentially be art.