Opstijgende jets in Korea 1952

David Ketel's photograph captures ascending jets in Korea. Here, the motif of flight—a symbol deeply embedded in the human psyche—takes center stage. In ancient cultures, flight was often associated with transcendence and the divine, yet here, in Ketel's lens, the ascending jets represent military might. The sky, traditionally a symbol of freedom, is now a theater of war. We see echoes of Icarus's hubris, a warning of technology's potential for self-destruction, yet the ascending jets are also reminiscent of angels, figures that have been used in art across centuries to offer protection and mediate between the earthly and the divine. This ambiguity is a powerful reminder of the cyclical nature of human history, where symbols resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings in different contexts. The photograph evokes a deep emotional response. As a symbol of human potential, flight carries with it the weight of cultural memory, engaging us on a subconscious level.