Zilvinas  Kempinas

Zilvinas  Kempinas


LIthuania/America

Zilvinas Kempinas was born in Plunge, Lithuania in 1969. He graduated from the Vilnius Art Academy in 1993 and received his MFA from Hunter College, City University of New York in 2002. Kempinas has exhibited extensively internationally with solo shows at P.S.1 Contemporary Art Centre (New York), Palais de Tokyo (Paris), Contemporary Art Centre (Vilnius, Lithuania), etc. Selected group exhibitions include Manifesta 7 (Bolzano, Italy), Nam June Paik Art Center (Yongin City, Korea), SFMOMA (San Francisco, USA), etc.

Kempinas was the recipient of the biannual Calder Prize in 2007 and in 2008, lived for six months in Saché, France during his residency at Atelier Calder. He represented the Lithuanian Pavilion at the 53rd Venice Biennale in 2009, and was awarded the Lithuanian National Prize in 2012. He lives and works in New York.

Live Transmission

2022

Variable size

Magnetic tape – VHS, industrial fan


Live Transmission is kinetic piece consisting of two visual elements, magnetic tape and industrial fans, but it also employs two non-visual forces, currents of air and gravity. The multiple strips of magnetic tape are connecting far ends of elongated architectural space, animated by air currents and shaped by gravity, their own weight. This simple setting creates infinite configurations of magnetic tapes/lines ever changing their position in relation to surrounding architectural space, it is reminiscent of living creatures, shapes and movements of which can be unpredictable and complex.
Live Transmission is a trip of energy, starting in human mind (idea as energy) to physical installation of the electric fans and their spinning blades producing currents of air, then the air is traveling along the strips of tape and moving them constantly, creating different shapes and eventually the energy "landing" as a perception of the viewer, who absorbs it in most direct and visceral form, here and now.
The humming white noise of the fans is an important part of the installation, it's a soundtrack for graceful ascent and descent of lines.

FLUX

2009

Pedestal proportions: 120 × 132 × 132 cm, the fan is installed at 275 cm above the floor

Magnetic tape – MiniDV, industrial fan, pedestal box

 

VHS video tape has long been used as a material for making kinetic sculptures in Zilvinas Kempinas' art making. FLUX is one of the kinetic self-balancing sculptures, consisting of two separate loops of magnetic tape floating above large pedestal box, animated by a single electrical fan above. Two loops are carried by currents of air produced by the fan; as air bounces off the surface of the “pedestal” it carries the loops up, making them levitate in midair and interact with each other, like if fighting or dancing.
Charged with seemingly monotonous yet subtle distinctions, this constant state of flux and indeterminacy sparks off and takes in endless gaze and theoria.

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