Thought Dubai Canvas was cool? Then you’ll love this…

Fancy checking out something new this weekend? Well, American artist Anthony Howe has installed two of his unique kinetic sculptures in Dubai (and they’re definitely worth a look).

Howe’s kinetic sculptures move with the wind, turning them into a sort of living, breathing, almost alien-looking object. And yes, there’s enough wind here in Dubai to move them.

One of the sculptures ‘Octo 3’ has been installed at City Walk (the older bit) in front of Paul and Argo Tea Café, standing at an impressive height of 7.6 metres and weighing 3.2 tonnes – making it one of the largest stainless steel kinetic sculptures in the world. Meanwhile, another of his sculptures, Octo 2, can be found at JBR.

Check out Octo 3 here:

 

A video posted by Luu (@dashaluu) on

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‘Octo 2’ can be found down at The Beach at JBR, and is similarly mesmerising.


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The sculptures are designed to work even in a gentle breeze, but can withstand wind speeds of up to 140 kilometres per hour, while maintaining a constant speed. At night, the sculptures light up in different colours.

Speaking about Dubai, Howe said, “I am thrilled to have one of my pieces installed in Dubai … I hope the pieces assume a spare, linear elegance when conditions are still, gaining wild vigour in motion when the wind picks up.”

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Here’s a video compilation showcasing some of Howe’s best work:

Howe conceptualises his sculptures using 3D imagery and animation, which he than crafts using customised machines built especially for the project.

The project is then assembled by hand, and usually consists of a combination of gears, motor and air-driven frameworks.

Anthony Howe has been creating kinetic sculptures for over 17 years. On his website, Howe speaks about the art of kinetic sculptures, saying,”kinetic sculpture resides at the intersection of artistic inspiration and mechanical complexity.

“The making of one of my pieces relies on creative expression, metal fabrication, and a slow design process in equal parts.

“It aims to alter one’s experience of time and space when witnessed. It also needs to weather winds of 90 mph and still move in a one mile per hour breeze and do so for hundreds of years.”

Pretty cool stuff.

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