We are aware of the work of Zilvinas Kempinas, we’ve featured some of his previous work, such ass Double O (which was made up of electric fans folding up magnetic tape, seemingly in a perpetual motion machine.) However we hadn’t known about this other installation called “Tube”, which also utilized magnetic tape (Zilvinas apparently always uses tape from old VHS casettes.) The installation was created in Atelier Calder, France, and was also shown in Venice in 2009.
This great quote exemplifies Zilvinas’ approach to his art:
“I am attracted to things that are capable of transcending their own banality and materiality to become something else, something more. I like the way that videotape is simultaneously delicate and durable, since it’s meant to last. I can rip it easily with my hands because it’s so thin, but I can also stretch it. Videotape is made to present the world in color, but it appears purely black. It’s supposed to be this safe container of the past, but it is destined to vanish like a dinosaur, to become obsolete, pushed away by new technologies. It’s a familiar mass-produced commodity, but it can be surprisingly sensual and can look almost alive if set in motion. It can be seen as a solid, thick, black line, but it can also disappear right in front of your eyes if it’s turned on its side” – Zilvinas Kempinas
