Prague’s famous spinning sculpture set to return on Thursday

It honours Franz Kafka, one of the most prominent 20th-century literary icons

This year, Prague is commemorating 100 years since the death of one of its most famous sons and cultural figures – Franz Kafka. The Czech capital has organized a range of events, such as exhibitions, book fairs and film screenings to celebrate the legacy of the literary icon of the absurdist and surreal.

In that context, an innovative rotating statue which represents the head of the writer has become one of the most photographed modern attractions in Prague since its unveiling in 2014. Following several months of repairs on it, the city has announced that it will put it back with an official re-unveiling to take place on 29 February at 7 PM at Piazza Quadrio shopping centre. There will be a spectral light show and original music.

A dynamic statue gaining an iconic status of its own

We live in the 21^st century and these days competing for attention requires one to bet on visual appeal often even when it comes to literature. That’s why, the City hired the most famous modern Czech artist – David Cerny – to create a unique statue that would turn heads.

It looks like Mr Czerny took the requirement quite literally as he designed a bust of Franz Kafka that indeed turns its own head. The artist combined modern technology and traditional Czech craftsmanship.

The pioneering dynamic statue features 42 rotating layers and almost a kilometre of cables inside it. The panels rotate independently which results in creating different facial expressions.

During the past five months, the bust has undergone significant renovation and an update to its robotic mechanism in order to ensure a longer life and easier maintenance.

Tourists can find many different inspiring photo opportunities if they spend some time looking at it. It is programmed to rotate every 15 minutes between 8 AM and 7 PM.