International Steven Hogendijk Award for Medical Engineering

Commission: medal design for a prestigious biannual award by order of the Bataafsch Genootschap der Proefondervindelijke Wijsbegeerte (Batavian Society of Empirical Philosophy).

In honour of the original 18th century effigy, depicting Lady Empiricality herself, the reverse of this medal design displays the reverse of that lady – transformed to the 21st century.

Leading idea was the text in the seam of Empiricality’s veil: ‘rerum magistra’, meaning ‘master of things’. Anno 2001 I questioned the value of those words. Therefor this lady holds a bear rug on the leash to express the fact we think to be master of nature, but at the same time she herself is tied up to a saline IV drip to show our dependency on all kinds of medical engineering, prostheses and extensions, or for short: things.

      • 2001
    • 10cm x 0.7cm
  • Silver medal, struck at the Munt (Dutch Royal Mint)
  • Commissioned by Batavian Society of Experimental Philosophy