Heureka by Jean Tinguely

Heureka is a kinetic iron sculpture by Swiss artist Jean Tinguely, created in 1964 for the Swiss National Exhibition in Lausanne and later installed at the Zürichhorn on the eastern shore of Lake Zürich, Switzerland. The work is a tangle of welded scrap-metal arms, wheels and rods that rotate, jerk and swing in a looping mechanical rhythm, driven by a motor that runs on a set schedule. Its title refers to the Greek cry of discovery, and the machine is a playful, noisy comment on industrial progress. The sculpture stands in the lakeside park of the Zürichhorn, near the Chinese Garden and the Seefeld promenade, and visitors can approach it freely at any hour as part of the open public park. When the machine is operating, the clatter and movement can be seen and heard from a distance, and watching the arms rotate against the lake backdrop is the core of the experience. When it is idle, the sculpture still rewards a close look at the welded joints and found objects. The best photo angles are from the lawn side, with the lake and the Alps behind, and at low sun in the late afternoon. A visit takes 15 to 30 minutes on its own, and most visitors combine it with a walk around the Zürichhorn peninsula, a picnic on the lawn or a visit to the nearby Museum Haus Konstruktiv or Centre Le Corbusier. Weekends in summer are the busiest, while weekday mornings are quiet. Entry is free, and the sculpture is outdoors in all weather. Operating times of the mechanism can vary, so visitors who want to see it moving should check ahead with Zürich Tourism or the city's cultural office. Families with children often find the movement entertaining.