Tinguely Brunnen Fountain, Basel (must see)

Splashing, spinning and clattering in a shallow pool beside Basel Theatre, the Tinguely Fountain is one of the city’s most playful and unusual works of public art. Created by Swiss artist Jean Tinguely in 1977, the fountain consists of ten mechanical sculptures that continually interact with the surrounding water.

The fountain occupies the site where the stage of Basel’s former municipal theater once stood. After the old theater was demolished, Tinguely was commissioned to create a work for the space. He constructed his mechanical figures using metal components and other materials from the dismantled theater, giving parts of the old building an imaginative new purpose.

Tinguely placed the ten figures inside a shallow basin and incorporated moving water into their performance. Powered by low-voltage motors, the mechanisms turn, rock, spray and splash water back and forth, appearing almost to communicate and interact with one another. Their movements evoke the actors, dancers and mime artists who once performed on the theater stage that occupied this very spot.

Each machine behaves differently: some spin or sway, while others scoop or spray water across the pool. Together, they create a constantly changing performance that reflects Tinguely’s characteristic fascination with machines, movement, humor and absurdity. Keep in mind that if you stand too close to the edge, you might get playfully sprayed when the wind blows or the machines tilt at certain angles. Take some time to watch the moving metal sculptures dip, tilt and spray water as part of their playful choreography.

The fountain takes on a different appearance after dark, when lighting illuminates the moving sculptures and water. It can be even more striking in winter. When temperatures fall below freezing, icicles form around the mechanisms, creating unusual frozen shapes while parts of the fountain continue to move.

Walk around the basin and watch the individual machines from different angles. The fountain also provides an excellent introduction to Tinguely’s work elsewhere in Basel, particularly the Tinguely Museum, which houses the world’s largest collection of his kinetic artworks.