The kinetic sculpture, “Trifot (2016)”, was created by the controversial Czech installation artist, David Černý, and installed outside the Czech Photo Centre gallery. The imposing 12-meter tall sculpture is made from stainless steel and depicts a series of conjoined vintage cameras on top of a tripod. Bulging out of the eleven camera lenses are swivelling eyeballs, containing motion-tracking cameras linked to motors, that allow them to track the movement of any passers-by. The cameras also broadcast a live video feed to six large screens dotted around the plaza. This huge mechanical robot is an unmistakable reminder of the ways that cameras and surveillance are a constant feature, in our current age of smartphones and CCTV. The massive cameras resemble the overbearing and unwieldy large format cameras of the 1900s. However, cameras these days can not only be much smaller but digital surveillance itself can be virtually imperceptible, despite its invasive and omniscient nature. The eyeballs broadcasting to televisions also implore us to consider who might be observing our actions and why.
The social context of the artwork is the obvious interaction that takes place between the sculpture and anyone who walks by. The cameras are always on and broadcasting, without consent of the locals, who automatically become unwilling participants. This is analogous to modern surveillance cameras, in both public spaces and private streets, which constantly monitor their surroundings. The unconscious surrender of privacy is a highly-contentious point of discussion, since most people assume that it’s a necessary evil to ensure their own safety. However, by publicly displaying the footage on nearby screens, Černý is forcing his viewers to come to terms with the fact that they have no control over what their image will be used for.
The sculpture, as well as the entire outdoor space and gallery, were financed by a local construction company, Trigema. This explains the economic context of the artwork, as a private commission to attract visitors to the area and indirectly promote the company. This increase in foot traffic should benefit the local economy and perhaps attract property investors, who will bring business to Trigema.
The artwork also holds a strong relation to the country’s historical politics. As a member of the Eastern bloc, Czechoslovakia, was run as a Soviet satellite state, so censorship was pervasive and strictly enforced. From 1945, all the way up until 1990, there existed a State Security agency, known as the StB (Státní Bezpečnost). This plain clothes secret police force served to deal with any activity that could possibly be considered anti-state or exhibiting Western influence. As an instrument of power and repression, they spied on citizens through the use of telephone tapping, permanent watching of apartments, intercepting private mail, house searches, surveillance, arrests and indictment for so-called "subversion of the republic". As a local Czech, who would have grown up during this period of oppression, Černý wants people who view this sculpture to consider the political context. Although the StB was dissolved, we must remain vigilant and wary of any government or company that violates our privacy by using mass surveillance to monitor citizens. The late Benjamin Franklin once said, “Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety”, and in our current age of global surveillance this statement rings truer than ever.
References:
1. http://blog.praguemorning.cz/22106-2/
2. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/trifot
3. https://www.czechpressphoto.cz/detail-novinky/223-47/trifot/
4. https://www.expres.cz/david-cerny-socha-0ey-/viral.aspx?c=A161017_150235_dx-viral_khor
5. http://www.askanews.it/esteri/2016/10/18/a-praga-svetta-trifot-un-mostro-orwelliano-di-12-metri-pn_20161018_00073/
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