Rookgasventilator Possibly 1939

This photograph, Rookgasventilator, shows a gigantic fan, presumably for clearing smoke. It’s a black and white image, which gives it a timeless quality, like it could be from any point in the last century. I am drawn to the texture of the metal, the way the light reflects off its surface, suggesting both solidity and a kind of industrial sublime. Look at the guy inside the fan’s mouth! The scale is just bonkers. The whole piece feels very generative, like it's about making things, or making space. The anonymity of the artist makes it even more intriguing. It reminds me of Bernd and Hilla Becher’s photographs of industrial structures – water towers, gas tanks – these anonymous, functional objects elevated to art through careful observation and documentation. Ultimately, it's the ambiguity that keeps us looking, wondering about the stories these images hold.