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All Czechia Prague 'Trifot'

'Trifot'

An Orwellian sculpture with eyeball cameras watches passersby.

Prague, Czechia

Added By
Sebastián Wortys
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Trifot by David Černý.   ŠJů/CC BY 4.0
Trifot - detail   Sebastian Wortys / Atlas Obscura User
Trifot at the Czech Photo Centre   ŠJů/CC BY 4.0
David Černý and “Trifot.”   Courtesy of Czech Photo Centre.
Trifot.   ŠJů/CC BY 4.0
Trifot.   NoJin/CC BY-SA 4.0
Trifot.   Mojmir ailing/CC BY-SA 4.0
Trifot   Sebastian Wortys / Atlas Obscura User
Trifot   Sebastian Wortys / Atlas Obscura User
Trifot - underneath   Sebastian Wortys / Atlas Obscura User
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About

"Trifot" is a kinetic sculpture by Czech installation artist David Černý, who is known for his whimsical, provocative works like the babies crawling up Žižkov Tower and a bus doing push ups. This sculpture, installed outside the Czech Photo Centre gallery, offers a decidedly dark perspective on surveillance and privacy.

The 40-foot-tall statue is modeled on vintage cameras with eyeballs in place of lenses. The bulging eyes swivel about independently, watching passersby, who might be shocked to find themselves broadcast onto one of six monitors in the area. 

Černý's sculpture references the dystopian future of unchecked government surveillance in George Orwell's 1984 and the terrifying alien technology in H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds. According to the artist though, it's also meant to honor the observational art of photography. Those who find themselves unwittingly filmed by Trifot might feel differently however.

Related Tags

Statues Art Machines Photography Spies David Cerny

Community Contributors

Added By

Sebastian Wortys

Edited By

Greg Jones, Molly McBride Jacobson, gasp65

  • Greg Jones
  • Molly McBride Jacobson
  • gasp65

Published

February 17, 2017

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Sources
  • https://www.czechpressphoto.cz/detail-novinky/223-47/trifot/
  • http://www.askanews.it/esteri/a-praga-svetta-trifot-un-mostro-orwelliano-di-12-metri_711920428.htm
  • http://www.expres.cz/david-cerny-socha-0ey-/viral.aspx?c=A161017_150235_dx-viral_khor
  • http://www.praguemorning.cz/22106-2/
  • https://www.czechpressphoto.cz/detail-novinky/223-47/trifot/
  • http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/model+on
'Trifot'
Na Zlatě 1
Prague
Czechia
50.050747, 14.349434
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