Circle. It fascinates Kafka. He's not the first or last artist captivated by its symbolism. Allegedly, when ordered to send his best painting, Michelangelo drew a circle and set it with the message that if the Pope were truly wise, he would understand that there is no greater perfection than a circle. But Kafka perceives the circle not as an artistic object but as a boundary. A symbol of inner freedom. He often mentions in his diaries a painful desire to transcend this circle in which he is physically and mentally trapped to observe and evaluate the world from the outside. But when he tries to do so, a deep chasm opens up in his perception. The emptiness that unexpectedly separated him from the inner world inside the circle. He describes the state as if he owned a luxurious villa, which he is limited to looking at only from the outside. It is now robbed of its dazzling interior. However, if he remains inside, he will not be able to perceive the house in its holistic unity. To write, he must decide between form and content. The age-old puzzle. He does not find a solution during his short earthly existence. With the passing of time and rising awareness of his life and work, we can now claim that it was Kafka who became the boundary of freedom in his top works.

Writer / Marek Epstein    Dop / Martin Štrba

Completion date / March 2024

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