Jean Tinguely | token to activate the replica of the work Méta-Matic No.10, 1959

Visitors can activate the work Méta-Matic No. 10,1959, exhibited in the retrospective dedicated to Jean Tinguely in the Navate space, by purchasing a token available for 5 euros at the Bookshop. The activation will result in a drawing on stamped paper.

The series of works Méta-Matics by Tinguely includes drawing machines that viewers can operate. Powered by small mechanical motors, these machines create abstract drawings on paper using colored felt-tip pens.

These works not only invite the public to interact directly with the sculptures but also encourage reflection on the role of the machine in art and the element of chance in the creative process. Viewer participation thus becomes an integral part of the piece, superseding the idea of the artist as sole creator. This approach makes art accessible to all and allows the person who operate the sculpture to become the owner of a small work on paper.

Méta-Matic No. 10, presented in the show, is an exhibition replica of the 1959 machine, realized in 2024 by Museum Tinguely. For conservation purposes the original work can no longer be activated.