Artist Portrait: Jean Tinguely

Jean Tinguely was a Swiss artist member of the Nouveau Réalisme group, best known for his kinetic sculptures from recycled metal scraps in complex assemblages and machinery named metamechanics. His creations were inspired by criticism of automation and overproduction.

Jean Tinguely was born in Fribourg, Swiss, 1925. He moved to France in 1952 and created his Métamatic sculptures between 1955 and 1959. His artwork combined mechanical movements and sound in complex structures.

Here is a curated selection of YouTube videos introducing our young students to Tinguely's work.

Tinguely's work is featured in a permanent exhibition at The Tinguely Museum in Basel, Switzerland, in a building designed by the Italian architect Mario Botta.