Once again we're falling head-over-heels for Zimoun's magnificent sound sculptures

We’ve featured his work before and here we are featuring it again, but we reserve the right to feature it as many times as we like, as we really can’t get enough of the masterful kinetic sculptures of Swiss artist Zimoun. According to his admirers, Zimoun “is best compared to a watchmaker of a self-reproducing time, constructing his own gauging station.” But as far as we’re concerned, it really isn’t as complex as all that; Zimoun’s appeal comes from his ability to turn simple, functional objects into extraordinary sensory experiences.

Walk into one of his sculptures and you’re confronted with a wall of undulating percussion generated by motorised cork balls on cardboard. Simple enough, but the experience of hearing this sound is unlike anything you’re likely to confront outside of his structures and has the soothing effect of rain on a window or the distant humming of a fridge. And unusual watchmaker he may be, but his intentions seem to be more about human experience than metering time.

You can see Zimoun’s Emerging Microstructures from February 2 at Auditorium, Rome.