Kinetica Art Fair

Life-sized galloping horses constructed from light, a kinetic tree and 1960s op art are among the strange, inventive and decidedly futuristic offerings at this year’s Kinetica Art Fair.

AADLAB,  Fallen Star, 2012
AADLAB, Fallen Star, 2012

Now in its fifth year, the fair showcases a dazzling range of  robotic, sound, light, time-based and new media art.

This year’s event, which takes on the theme Perception and Reality, boasts work from more than 45 international arts organisations and galleries, and includes an exhibition, daily programme of talks, presentations and performances.

Art Giro P.Scirpa, Cubo Multispaziale Porpora, 1987
Art Giro P.Scirpa, Cubo Multispaziale Porpora, 1987

As well as the horse made from light, created by Remi Brun, French artist Laurent Debraux’s kinetic tree and Italian kinetic artist Alberto Biasi’s 1960s op-art works, other highlights include kinetic sound works from Alex Allmont, holographic works by Budapest-based Andras Mengyan and installations of kinetic jewellery from Jenny Lee, Myia Bonner and Mark Bloomfield.

Horse In Motion, mechanical flipbook
Horse In Motion, mechanical flipbook

This year also sees a special area dedicated to eight established artists recognized as being at the forefront of kinetic art. Among the artists are Christiaan Zwanniken, who creates some intriguing techno-animalistic figures, tailored to activate and move in response to the viewer and each other. Kinetica describes them as like ‘interactive Wunderkammers, new configurations of shrieking, clapping, ticking curiosities generated by machinery’, which sounds rather brilliant – if slightly terrifying.

Swordfish, Piotr Jedrzejewski
Swordfish, Piotr Jedrzejewski

Brooklyn-based ‘low tech’ artist Gregory Barsamian will also be showing his work, which he describes as ‘Industrial Revolution-style.’ His art examines dream-like states, challenging the boundaries between perception and reality, according to Kinetica.

Christiaan Zwanniken
Christiaan Zwanniken

Kinetica Art Fair runs from 28 February – 3 March at Ambika P3, 35 Marylebone Rd, London, NW1

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