Franz

Circle. For Kafka, it is a source of fascination. He is not the first or the last artist to be enchanted by it. Legend has it that when commissioned to send his best painting to the Pope, Michelangelo sat down and drew a circle. The artist stated that if the pope was truly wise, he would understand that there was no greater perfection. Kafka, however, does not perceive the circle as an art object. For him, it represents a border, a symbol of inner freedom. In his diaries, he often speaks of the agonising desire to step out of this circle that imprisons him both physically and mentally. By leaving it, he could observe and evaluate the world from the outside, but when he tries to exit the circle, a deep chasm opens up in his perception. A void that unexpectedly separates him from the inner world inside the circle. He compares this state to owning a luxurious villa while only being able to experience it from the outside, and thus being deprived of its dazzling interior. On the other hand, if he remains inside, he cannot perceive the house in its unity. In order to be able to write, he must make a decision. Form or content: An eternal search. During his short earthly existence, Kafka does not find a solution. It is we who, with the passage of time and the awareness of his life and work, can state that Kafka himself becomes the border of freedom and bondage in his masterpieces.