Two German bombers from World War II are crossing the screen, coming from the right edge of the picture. Bombs are falling from the bomb bays. On the left side of the picture, conflicts and wars are listed in handwriting, beginning with the year 1930. Infinity loops line up one after the other, staggered into the depth of the picture. The infinity sign is set off again separately like a signet. The picture is kept in beige tones. In the background a bombed city can be seen.
‘Composition I With Heinkel HE 111 Bombers’ from the second series of paintings ‘Infinite Rebirth of Madness’ / 2022 / Digital painting / Exposure on Fujiflex photo paper / Limited edition: 3 + 1 AP / 13,287 Pixel (H) ∙ 23,622 Pixel (W) / 44.3″ (H) ∙ 78.8″ (W) / Numbered and signed by hand.

The present work is protected by copyright in all its parts.
© 2022 by Heinz Hermann Maria Hoppe.
All rights reserved.

‘Infinite Rebirth of Madness’ /// Second Series of Paintings : : :

‘Caught in the Dilemma’ : : :
Digital Paintings

The entire infinity loop is placed centrally on the image background. The long shot with the many tanks creates an overview.
‘Composition J With Heinkel HE 111 Bombers’ from the second series of paintings ‘Infinite Rebirth of Madness’ / 2022 / Digital painting / Exposure on Fujiflex photo paper / Limited edition: 3 + 1 AP / 13,287 Pixel (H) ∙ 23,622 Pixel (W) / 44.3″ (H) ∙ 78.8″ (W) / Numbered and signed by hand.
A bomber squadron flies head-on toward the viewer. The infinity loops staggered in depth have the effect of a time tunnel.
‘Composition K With Heinkel HE 111 Bombers’ from the second series of paintings ‘Infinite Rebirth of Madness’ / 2022 / Digital painting / Exposure on Fujiflex photo paper / Limited edition: 3 + 1 AP / 13,287 Pixel (H) ∙ 23,622 Pixel (W) / 44.3″ (H) ∙ 78.8″ (W) / Numbered and signed by hand.
In the slightly oblique, almost frontal close-up view of the bomber, details of the aircraft become visible: the front on-board gun, rotors, turbines, sheet metal and rivets of the aircraft hull, the front cockpit and bomb bay covers.
‘Composition L With Heinkel HE 111 Bombers’ from the second series of paintings ‘Infinite Rebirth of Madness’ / 2022 / Digital painting / Exposure on Fujiflex photo paper / Limited edition: 3 + 1 AP / 13,287 Pixel (H) ∙ 23,622 Pixel (W) / 44.3″ (H) ∙ 78.8″ (W) / Numbered and signed by hand.
Bird’s eye view of the bomber squadron.
‘Composition M With Heinkel HE 111 Bombers’ from the second series of paintings ‘Infinite Rebirth of Madness’ / 2022 / Digital painting / Exposure on Fujiflex photo paper / Limited edition: 3 + 1 AP / 13,287 Pixel (H) ∙ 23,622 Pixel (W) / 44.3″ (H) ∙ 78.8″ (W) / Numbered and signed by hand.
Dynamic image composition, in which the squadron flies through the screen from the top right to the bottom left.
‘Composition N With Heinkel HE 111 Bombers’ from the second series of paintings ‘Infinite Rebirth of Madness’ / 2022 / Digital painting / Exposure on Fujiflex photo paper / Limited edition: 3 + 1 AP / 13,287 Pixel (H) ∙ 23,622 Pixel (W) / 44.3″ (H) ∙ 78.8″ (W) / Numbered and signed by hand.
Oblique, frog-eye view of the underside of a bomber with the bomb bay open. Iridescent blue tones of the aircraft hull form a nuanced color contrast to the beige color tones.
‘Composition O With Heinkel HE 111 Bombers’ from the second series of paintings ‘Infinite Rebirth of Madness’ / 2022 / Digital painting / Exposure on Fujiflex photo paper / Limited edition: 3 + 1 AP / 13,287 Pixel (H) ∙ 23,622 Pixel (W) / 44.3″ (H) ∙ 78.8″ (W) / Numbered and signed by hand.
The aeroplane squadron flies by, seen from above.
‘Composition P With Heinkel HE 111 Bombers’ from the second series of paintings ‘Infinite Rebirth of Madness’ / 2022 / Digital painting / Exposure on Fujiflex photo paper / Limited edition: 3 + 1 AP / 13,287 Pixel (H) ∙ 23,622 Pixel (W) / 44.3″ (H) ∙ 78.8″ (W) / Numbered and signed by hand.

Comment
Author: Heinz Hermann Maria Hoppe

The titles of specialist literature on the topics of war history, military technology, propaganda, tyrannies, genocides, flight and expulsion, imperialism, death and misery as a result of violent conflicts seem endless. Historians, peace researchers, sociologists, political scientists and psychologists discuss discuss discuss historiography, strategies and statistics.

On the other hand, enormous resources of life time are invested in ingenious developments – for ever more destructive weapon systems. Armament companies achieve incredible profits – with machines for extermination. Societies invest gigantic sums of tax money, which are otherwise urgently needed for constructive projects – in technologies for destruction.

So one arms oneself again, to the invasion, to the appropriation of desired country, to the provocation, to the assurance of the possibility of mutual extinction – and to the natural counter-defense, to the imposed fight for survival. Highly bred fighting machines collide and crush between them, already again or still, ‘human material’ that ‘has lined up’ to ‘neutralize’ each other. The experiences and the memories of the indescribable suffering in two world wars are not enough to untie the Gordian knot of violence. The appeal of military awards remains strong.

Escalations remain interwoven and complex, but have we examined the patterns subtly enough? What about ideation processes for de-escalation? Are we engaged in thinking about alternatives to confrontation and interdisciplinary linkages for a new generation of solutions? Are we exhausting all possibilities for peacekeeping, or are efforts exhausted in wreath-laying ceremonies at memorial services, handshakes for press pictures, and preserving safe zones for the airs and graces of powerful egomaniacs? Are politicians sufficiently trained in nonviolent communication? Are diplomatic procedures innovative, or are we basically still negotiating as we did 100 years ago? Are we researching peacemaking processes with generous ‘peace budgets’ at least as large as those for defense technology? Could ‘Artificial PeaceIntelligence’ and ‘Big PeaceData’ increasingly analyze state interests and the complex interdependencies in order to forecast conflict hotspots and potential dangers and to propose unusual niche solutions?

The dilemma of affected civilian populations is often not being able to distinguish the true situation from home-made propaganda. Despite the Internet and social media, people often do not know what they can believe and what they should believe. In the ‘Third Reich’, listening to enemy radio stations was punishable by death because the leadership feared more enlightened Germans questioning the war of aggression. Why is it that today, in spite of global social media technologies, despotic propaganda of unjust regimes can still catch on to such an extent?

We are perfecting war machines, but we have no plan for a ‘peace machine’. We have not developed a higher-order set of tools that could nip conflict hotbeds in the bud on the basis of interlocking routines.

Will humanity remain trapped in the endless loop of wars?
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