jan kriwol + markos kay imagine a day in the life of the human circulatory system

originally published by designboom in 2017, from the minds of photographer jan kriwol and CGI artist markos kay ‘human after all’ is a collection of digitally manipulated images that imagines the day-to-day lives of the people around us through the lens of the circulatory systems. captured in warsaw, grenoble, tel aviv, israel, berlin, brussels and cape town, the tongue in cheek collection is a combination of genuine environments and 3D renderings, created using particle simulations.

the series was captured in warsaw, grenoble, tel aviv, israel, berlin, brussels and cape town
all images © jan kriwol/markos kay, courtesy of the artists

‘the project highlights the fragility and vitality of the human body juxtaposed against the backdrop of urban architecture’, explain jan kriwol and markos kay. ‘by stripping down the human body to the essence of life, the series aims to challenge notions of boundaries between our bodies and our environment as well as social barriers such as racial and sexual differences’.

the tongue in cheek collection is a combination of genuine environments and 3D renderings

the idea for the project first came to kriwol after he saw a drawing by his girlfriend of a circulatory system smoking a cigarette. inspired by the work of sculptural work of anthony gormley as well as more antiquated anatomical drawings from sources such as medical journals, the series suggests a playful commentary on that which is alien in appearance but completely natural in composition.

‘the biggest challenge for this project was creating an anatomical character that looked life-like and integrated with the real environment,’ explains kay. ‘we spent a lot of time experimenting with different postures, and oftentimes we had to exaggerate the posture greatly so that it could translate visually with the deconstructed structure of the circulatory system.’

‘the project highlights the fragility and vitality of the human body (…) against the backdrop of urban architecture’

‘the contrast between the surreal yet natural structure of the of the circulatory system and the mundane nature of its surroundings brings to light the oscillation between irony and romanticism that can be seen in the human condition,’ continue the artists. by reducing the bodies featured to their most rudimentary of parts, the series acts not just as a great equaliser but as a reminder that, in spite of ego, accomplishment or material wealth, we are at the end of the day all just skin and bones.

the idea came to kriwol after he saw a drawing by his girlfriend of a circulatory system smoking a cigarette