Homo Machina is the first work composed as part of the suite Der Industriepalast. The piece is deeply influenced by the work of infographic pioneer, Fritz Kahn (1888-1968). Kahn’s most pivotal work was the life-sized poster “Der Mensch als Industriepalast” (Man as Industrial Palace) of 1926, which this piece is based upon. Such is the inspiration of his work, it has influenced children’s anatomy books, comics (e.g. Numskullz) and even movies (e.g. Fantastic Voyage).
The visual crossover between industrialization and science in Fritz Kahn's artwork demonstrates the means by which human nature became culturally encoded by placing the knowledge of the human anatomy within the context of the modern, industrial world. Kahn produced lots of illustrations that drew a direct functional analogy between human physiology and the operation of modern technologies of the times. Therefore, by illustrating the body as a factory, Kahn was able to relate the body’s complex organic interior to the industrialized space so common in society during the 1920’s.
As the work is intended as an introduction to a far longer suite, it is intended to provide an overview to the sounds that Kahn may have imagined as he was creating his remarkable graphics. It is therefore structured into 6 sections.
- Introduction: 00:00-00:21
- Lungs: 00:22-02:03
- Brain: 02:04-04:01
- Heart: 04:02-06:05
- Digestion: 06:05-07:59
- Homo Machina : 07:59-10:07
