MARTINNOVAK

Laterna Magica

Laterna Magica is an installation dedicated to the concept of the magic lantern, a historical precursor to modern projection that harnesses lenses and light to create ethereal, illusory images. This work is both an homage to and a contemporary exploration of the technology that once captivated audiences by conjuring fleeting visual experiences that seemed almost supernatural.

At its core, Laterna Magica reimagines the mechanics of the magic lantern through a personal and experimental lens. The installation features two open enclosures, each equipped with a set of lenses, light sources, and carefully crafted slides. These lanterns face one another, separated by a series of translucent screens. Light and imagery pass through these intermediary screens, which act as filters, softening and fragmenting the images. When the projections from both lanterns converge on the central screen, they form delicate, barely visible composites—images that exist on the edge of perception, teetering between presence and absence.

This interplay between light, lenses, and surfaces transforms the physical space into an imaginative realm. The translucent screens not only act as mediators of the projections but also serve as metaphors for the ephemeral nature of memory and perception. By deliberately obscuring and diffusing the projected images, the installation evokes the transient, dreamlike qualities of the magic lantern’s historical function: to spark wonder and invite viewers to fill the gaps with their own interpretations.

Laterna Magica is ultimately an expression of the imaginative space created by illusory images—a poetic dialogue between technology and storytelling. It invites viewers to engage with the installation on both a sensory and conceptual level, reflecting on how visual technologies have long shaped our understanding of reality and illusion.