Generator P730

The Czech artist Jakub Nepras frequently works with collage and scale changes.

In the video “Generator P730,” he filmed a computer printed circuit board up close and combined these shots with images of large numbers of people, cars, and other vehicles moving like ants in a city. The images blend smoothly, giving the small components of the circuit board the appearance of futuristic architectural constructions. Everyday sounds of city life make the whole scene look natural, and it takes a few seconds to realize that you are looking at a composed image.

Nepras compares the structure of a city and the movements that occur within it to the microcosm of computer technology. Both systems are designed to efficiently transport people, goods, or data. A city is, in essence, a collection of networks such as highways, metro tubes, water pipelines, and electrical cables. Similar forms, but on a much smaller scale, can be found in TVs, computers, and other electronics. With this work, the artist shows that our living environment is built in the same way as hardware but also that the efficiency-focused structure of this hardware has permeated every fiber of our existence.