Kinetics

Art in vivid motion. Brilliant, vividly coloured, and often intensely kinetic, the 1970 "Kinetics" exhibition at London’s Hayward Gallery served as a major international presentation of the emerging art of active sculpture. Works by Jean Tinguely, Nam June Paik, Peter Logan, Takis, Jesus Raphael Soto, and many others captivated an astonished public. This invaluable film record of the exhibition preserves a dazzling array of neon illumination, spinning metal, spraying water, and stroboscopic projections. Director Lutz Becker of the Slade School of Art Film Unit—who would later direct Double-Headed Eagle (1973), a documentary on Hitler’s rise to power—employs a range of textured electronic sounds, provided by Peter Sahla, to convey the exhibition’s extraordinary atmosphere. The show proved immensely popular, drawing visitors to the gallery day after day.