Fabriekspersoneel 1890 - 1910

This photograph by Otto Hisgen shows the factory personnel, arranged in a large group inside what seems to be their working place. The image shows the human desire to be part of a collective, a large group, and the meaning of 'community'. We can see the individuals grouped as one, but also arranged in lines, suggesting a kind of rigid imposition to be categorized. This arrangement is not new; its roots are embedded in cultural practices. The Greeks used ordered lines in their theater as a reminder of the power of the state, of the collective. It re-emerges in medieval representations of religious orders and then in modern military formations. In the photo, the way the personnel are arranged could be linked to an earlier collective memory of the social order, reflecting a deeper psychological need to conform, to be categorized and belong to the group. The image creates a powerful emotional tension. The lines of people, the way they are sat on the floor, and the large imposing building behind them creates a sense of both unity and control that speaks to our collective subconscious about the search for belonging and power. This image highlights our complex relationship with the structures that define our lives.