Kinetic Sculpture — Moving Sculpture by the Artist BREAKFAST

The art form, explained by BREAKFAST

Kinetic Sculpture

A kinetic sculpture is a sculpture that moves. The movement is part of the work, so the piece looks different from one minute to the next.

BREAKFAST is a kinetic sculptor based at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York. Since 2009 he has made more than 400 kinetic works, including The Pearl, the world's largest kinetic sculpture.

Toronto Wind (2023) — a 19-foot kinetic sculpture of 209 mirrored elements moving with Toronto's wind.

What makes a sculpture kinetic

A kinetic sculpture has real parts in real motion: discs that flip, blocks that turn, rings that rotate. Nothing is projected and there is no screen.

Early kinetic sculptors such as Alexander Calder and Jean Tinguely let wind and motors do the moving. BREAKFAST's sculptures are choreographed by software, which lets them move with live wind, water, and the people standing in front of them.

The forms BREAKFAST works in

Wall sculptures. Flip-Disc pieces hang like a painting and move across their whole surface. Sizes start around 16 inches.

Sculptural walls and objects. Brixels are rotating blocks faced in marble, mirror, or metal, used for pieces from 5 feet to 45.

Freestanding and suspended works. The Pearl is a 53-foot sphere. Cedar Point Reeds is a 30-foot field of swaying stalks. Athens Gusts is a set of rotating rings installed outdoors.

Sculpture that responds

Many of the sculptures are interactive. A sensor reads the space in front of the piece, and the sculpture moves in response to whoever is there.

Inquire about a kinetic sculpture

The Pearl (2024) — the world's largest kinetic sculpture, 53 feet wide.

Selected kinetic sculptures

The Pearl — the world's largest kinetic sculpture, by BREAKFASTThe Pearl2024 · 53 ft Toronto Wind — kinetic sculpture of mirrored BrixelsToronto Wind2023 · 19 ft Cedar Point Reeds — kinetic sculpture driven by live wind dataCedar Point Reeds2019 · 30 ft Athens Gusts — outdoor kinetic sculpture of rotating ringsAthens Gusts2024 · outdoor Oceans — kinetic sculpture in Carrara marble at Fontainebleau Las VegasOceans2022 · 45 ft Consumption — kinetic Brixel sculpture in marble and gold-tinted steelConsumption2024 · 12 ft Pool — interactive kinetic sculpture of mirrored BrixelsPool2019 · 10 ft Merrimack River — kinetic wall sculpture moving with a live riverMerrimack River2025 · 11 ft Traverse — interactive kinetic flip-disc wall sculptureTraverse2020 · 17 ft

Kinetic sculpture questions, answered

What is a kinetic sculpture?
A sculpture with parts that physically move. The motion is part of the artwork, produced by motors, electromagnets, or wind.
What is the difference between kinetic art and kinetic sculpture?
Kinetic art is the broad term for any art that moves. Kinetic sculpture is the three-dimensional form of it, from wall pieces to freestanding works.
What is the largest kinetic sculpture in the world?
The Pearl, by BREAKFAST. It is 53 feet wide, about four stories tall, and made of nearly 3,000 moving tiles.
How much does a kinetic sculpture cost?
Collector editions begin in the low five figures. Statement pieces and architectural commissions range from six figures into the millions, depending on scale and site. The catalog lists prices for available works.
Can I commission a kinetic sculpture?
Yes. Start an inquiry with the space and rough size, and someone from BREAKFAST's team will be in touch.
Can a kinetic sculpture go outdoors?
Some can. See outdoor kinetic sculpture.

Go deeper

Read about kinetic art as a form, see large installations for lobbies and public spaces, learn about collecting kinetic art, or browse the works.