José Dávila in Museum Voorlinden

“Please be careful, this artwork is about to collapse” is literally what a museum guard said to a visitor about the artwork “Joint Effort” by José Dávila (@josedavila) seen here in the middle of the room. “Het staat op instorten” was the Dutch phrase he used, as the visitor in question almost backed into it trying to take a photo of the Esther Tielemans (@esthertielemans) on the left.

I loved the way he expressed himself, either by his own interpretation, or instructed so by the curator, I don’t know: he was very accurate. The work fits perfectly in the theme of the new exhibition in Museum Voorlinden (@museumvoorlinden): objects on the tipping point that unleashes a tectonic shift.

The piece is under a constant strain: two rocks, placed on two wooden pedestals hold up a large glass plate with a bright orange lashing strap. The visitors add a fifth factor in keeping this momentum going: trying not to bump into it.