ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Jacopo Jenna's 'Lux Aeterna' Explores Energy and Apocalypse

exhibition · 2026-04-27

Jacopo Jenna's 2010 video 'Lux Aeterna' is featured in the 17th installment of the 'HUMANS. Video-ritratti della società contemporanea' series curated by Giovanni Viceconte. The series, born from the Covid-19 pandemic's isolation, uses keywords to link video artworks. This edition's keyword is 'PETROLIO' (oil). Jenna's work depicts a man dragging a tool made of waste through a post-apocalyptic desert, symbolizing humanity's struggle with energy dependency. The video references religious and mythological imagery, including Prometheus and a metaphorical Via Crucis, and questions society's reliance on fossil fuels. Jenna, a Florentine choreographer and filmmaker, explores energy as both a driver of progress and a source of conflict. The series aims to stimulate reflection on contemporary malaise and collective inadequacy.

Key facts

  • Jacopo Jenna created 'Lux Aeterna' in 2010.
  • The video is part of the 'HUMANS. Video-ritratti della società contemporanea' series curated by Giovanni Viceconte.
  • The series originated from the Covid-19 pandemic's forced isolation.
  • The keyword for this installment is 'PETROLIO' (oil).
  • The video shows a man dragging a tool made of waste through a desert landscape.
  • Jenna's work references Greek myth (Prometheus) and religious symbolism (Via Crucis).
  • The video addresses energy as a factor in development, power, destruction, and exploitation.
  • Jacopo Jenna is a choreographer, performer, and filmmaker based in Florence.

Entities

Artists

  • Jacopo Jenna
  • Giovanni Viceconte
  • Greta Thunberg
  • Hans Jonas

Institutions

  • Codarts Rotterdam Dance Academy
  • Artribune

Locations

  • Florence
  • Italy
  • Rotterdam
  • Netherlands
  • Kirkuk
  • Iraq
  • Baba Gurgur

Sources