Theesorteerinstallatie Possibly 1935

Here's a photograph of 'Theesorteerinstallatie', made by an anonymous artist. It captures a tea sorting installation, with a complex network of conveyor belts and machinery. I imagine the artist carefully composing the shot, thinking about the angles and light to capture the essence of this industrial landscape. What might they have been thinking about when they made it? The ingenuity of human invention, perhaps? Or the beauty of functional design? The photo uses stark monochromatic tones to emphasize the mechanical precision and rhythmic patterns. I can’t help but think of Bernd and Hilla Becher, the way they methodically documented industrial structures. The subject is so different, but somehow it reminds me how artists build on each other's visions, transforming our perception of the everyday. The absence of human figures emphasizes the silent, automated nature of the tea-sorting process. It invites reflection on the relationship between technology and labor, and how machines shape our environment and experiences. It’s like the machine itself has agency, making its own statement in the world, sorting meaning as it sorts tea.