Veit Korn

Hybris II is the second work in Veit Korn’s compelling Hybris trilogy, a series that explores the fragile balance between human ambition and existential limitation. Sculpted freehand from travertine (freshwater limestone), this piece presents a human head emerging from a rectangular block—partially framed, partially imprisoned.

The architectural frame becomes a central symbol in this work: not just a boundary, but a prison of the self. It evokes themes of isolation, anxiety, and the struggle for meaning within the constraints of existence. The figure’s direct gaze and restrained expression hint at an inner tension—between the desire to break free and the inevitability of our human condition.

Seen through an existentialist lens, Hybris II reflects the absurdity of striving for transcendence while trapped within our own limitations. The frame is not merely a border—it is the wall we cannot escape, a metaphor for the confines of consciousness and mortality. And yet, the face leans forward, almost as if trying to peer beyond.

Compared to Hybris I, which focuses on quiet introspection, and Hybris III, which intensifies the geometric abstraction and memento mori theme, Hybris II stands as a transitional moment: the self becomes aware of its cage and begins to push against it.