The Light Penetrates the Dark

Zdenek Pešánek created the first public kinetic sculpture for the power station in Prague This short experimental film focuses on a kinetic sculpture by Zdenek Pešánek For a period of eight years it issued beams of light from the outside wall of a transformer station at Pragues power utility before its destruction in 1939 Though genuine these shots seem abstract to us They are a rhythmically assembled ode to the lightcreating devices and phenomena of electricity Light arcs coils bulbs and various luminous elements support the alternation of positive and negative film images creating an impressive universe of light and shade In the 1920s Pešánek had obtained financial support for his work with electric kinetic light art In the 1930s he was the first sculptor to use neon lights He built several kinetic light pianos and published a book titled Kinetismus in 1941 httpwwwcenterforvisualmusicorg