The Big Picture: Living Sculpture Made From Programmed Wooden Balls

In Design by Woodz, February 12, 2017

Most sculptures are pretty static and won’t hold your interest for more than a brief glance. However, you may pay more notice to Hypersonic’s Breaking Wave project – a “programmed” analog arrangement.

Breaking wave living wood ball sculpture

The display is an elaborate, centralized motor system that pulls 804 wooden balls up and down to create elaborate patterns that you’ll only see if you watch from the right perspective. The size of the drums attached to each ball decide just when and how far they move.

Breaking Wave’s owner, Biogen-IDEC, is using the artwork as a commentary on medical science. It’s supposed to show how researchers sift through “billions” of seemingly meaningless data points to create a clearer picture of the human body. It’s a one-of-a-kind design, so it can’t be bought even if you are amazed by the concept.

You can, however, check it out in the video below or go to Biogen’s office in Cambridge, Massachusetts to see it in person.