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Kinetic Wind Chime Sculpture Creates a ‘Big Bang’ From Rusty Metal Pipes

By Regina Sienra on April 8, 2023

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A post shared by Etienne Krähenbühl (@etiennekrahenbuhl)

Swiss artist Etienne Krähenbüh has a unique approach to movement, materials, and sound. While many people would discard rusty metal and consider its shelf life to be over, Krähenbüh gives it a second chance and explores its musical qualities through massive kinetic sculptures. Whether rung by someone or moving simply with the air, the motion of his pieces evokes a punctual, organic choreography, like human breathing.

For his piece titled Big Bang—a play on words with the sound it produces and the origin of the universe—Krähenbüh created a sphere of wind chimes fashioned using 850 cut rusty metal pipes, each hanging from a thread connected to a frame on top. Despite the weight of its materials, the ball keeps its shape. It seemingly defies physics as it moves from side to side whether it's the whole structure or the wind chimes on its exterior layer. The varying strength of the force applied, as well as the different stages of decay in the metal, is what makes each movement so exciting; you can't possibly replicate the sound and the motion given all the variables in play.

There are a handful of iterations of Big Bang out there, the most famous being the one located in the gardens of Château de Vullierens. The artist also presented one at the Paris' Nuit Blanche in October 2022, where its unique wind chimes marveled the attendees. If you want to stay up to date with the artist's creations and upcoming exhibits, you can follow him on Instagram.