An Incredible Giant Hand Cranked Music Box That Sits In a Polish Public Square For Anyone to Use

German robotic artist Niklas Roy has created an incredible giant mechanical music box that contains working instruments that are controlled by a hand crank on the exterior. Entitled the “Music Construction Machine“, this remarkable machine is being exhibited at the Goethe Institute Pop Up Exhibition in Plac Nowy Targ, a public square in Old Town Wroclaw, Poland, and is available for anyone to use.

The Music Construction Machine is a large, public, generative music box, which people can operate via a big hand crank. Rotating the crank moves various mechanisms inside the giant box, producing ever-changing melodies and rhythmic patterns, played with an electric guitar, a keyboard and a drum set. As the machine is contained in a transparent glass pavillon, people can observe and contemplate on its inner workings while cranking. The installation is exhibited on a public square called Plac Nowy Targ in Wroclaw, Poland, as a part of the city’s cultural capital program. Therefore, it is a machine for everybody.

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.