Kitty Kahane Word Clouds
When someone mentions Franz Kafka, (almost) everyone has an opinion. And it inevitably triggers associations: metamorphosis, bureaucracy, unease, nightmarish situations. Illustrator Kitty Kahane has used associations like this to create word-for-word images in different languages. What do we see in Kafka and his characters, how does he speak to us today? – Take a tour of the Kafka cosmos.
German
Illustration: Kitty Kahane
English
Illustration: Kitty Kahane
The Czech word kavka means “jackdaw”. So Franz Kafka has a connection through his name with this intelligent bird of prey, which might also represent the mysterious and eerie aspects of Kafka’s work.
French
Illustration: Kitty Kahane
The Wish to be a Red Indian is a very short text by Franz Kafka: the idea of riding and at the same time casting aside his spurs and reins – a brief thrill of unbridled speed.
Spanish
Illustration: Kitty Kahane
In the story A Report to an Academy, an ape presents to an academic audience the story of how he has learned to behave like a human and how he views himself in his role as human imitator.