Bruno Munari: the use of a useless machine

Bruno Munari, an Italian artist and designer, made suspended arrangements of lightweight materials. His useless machines move with the air, changing the relationships between shapes, light and shadow. The Centre Pompidou holds an example dated around 1949: a little choreography entrusted to its surroundings. [1]

The name is ironic: these works have an aesthetic purpose instead of doing a practical job. Our own exercise: watch a hanging object for a minute and follow its shadow. There is no need to measure its productivity. Your eyes can do something that will never appear in a spreadsheet. [2]