The sculpture uses 42 motorized layers that can move independently controlled by internal software.
The structure is made of stainless steel plates polished to a mirror finish, reflecting the surrounding architecture.
The installation was privately funded by the CPI Property Group and commissioned as part of the Quadrio development project.
David Černý chose to depict Kafka because of his deep connection to Prague, despite the author's lifelong difficult relationship with the city.
The internal mechanical system features a complex array of gears and motors hidden within the torso and head.
The Franz Kafka - Rotating Head is an 11-meter-tall sculpture by Czech artist David Černý located behind the Quadrio shopping center in Prague. It consists of 42 independently moving stainless steel layers that rotate to form the writer's face periodically. The construction weighs approximately 39 tons and contains 1 kilometer of stainless steel cables. It serves as a kinetic tribute to Kafka's complex personality and psychological depth. The sculpture's segments synchronize their movement for 15 minutes at the top of every hour, followed by a period of chaotic rotation.
From the pedestrian courtyard level looking up at the face during its alignment.
Wait for the top of the hour to witness the synchronized movement sequence.
View the sculpture from different angles during the transformation to see the layers shift in real-time.
Visit during sunset when the light reflects off the mirror-finished steel for unique photographic results.
Do not attempt to touch or climb the sculpture, as the moving segments pose a mechanical hazard.
