Machinehal in de suikerfabriek 1890 - 1910

Otto Hisgen created this photograph of a sugar factory's machinery hall, capturing the imposing presence of industrial progress. The dominant visual symbol is the wheel, replicated in various forms throughout the hall. The wheel, as a motif, has ancient roots, symbolizing cyclical time, fortune, and even divine power. Think of the Wheel of Fortune in tarot, or the Buddhist Dharma Wheel. Here, it represents the relentless, cyclical nature of industrial labor. These wheels, interconnected and driving the machinery, evoke a sense of unstoppable momentum, of progress forging ahead. Yet, there's an underlying psychological tension. The wheel's circular motion, promising continuity, also hints at repetition and monotony. The men operating the machinery seem almost secondary to the industrial wheel. The wheel of progress, in its visual form, conveys both the promise and the potential anxieties of the industrial age, engaging our subconscious fears and hopes about the future.