Kinetics

The Record of an Exhibition

The film is based on an exhibition of kinetic artists of many nationalities - Takis, Jesús Raphael Soto, Jean Tinguely, Kenneth Martin, Philip Vaughan et al - at the Hayward Gallery, London, in 1970. Kinetic art takes many forms and can be traced to an age-old interest in automata, epitomized by the search for perpetual motion. The film sees this art as a celebration of man-made and natural dynamics, questioning our modes of perception and rejecting the distinction between illusion and reality. Much of the film is given to an exploration of dazzling play of light and movement in the exhibition: pieces that move automatically, some of which require spectator participation, structures of metal and plastic, electronic equipment using neon, ultra-violet and stroboscopic lights.

© 1998-2008 The Roland Collection & Pira Intl.