Head of Franz Kafka, Prague

The Head of Franz Kafka is a monumental outdoor bust created by David Černý, portraying the Prague writer whose books were written in German. Its polished metal form is built to move: the sculpture stands 10.6 metres high and consists of 42 stainless-steel sections that turn separately. Hidden machinery drives the performance, with 21 motor units linked by 1 kilometre of cables.

Installed beside the Quadrio shopping centre, the work was unveiled on 31 October 2014 and has become a striking piece of kinetic art. Its full weight is 39 tonnes, including 24 tonnes of steel. Watch the stacked surfaces as they shift: the face can dissolve into a restless arrangement, then gather itself again. The work cost 30 million crowns, funded by CPI Property Group together with the adjoining complex.