Kinetic Sculpture
Generally considered an international phenomenon, kinetic sculpture started in Europe and then spread almost everywhere in the world. By kinetic sculpture one usually refers to an art form that moves, being powered by electricity, wind, steam, waves or human interaction. Kinetic sculpture cannot be considered a cultural artistic style as there are plenty of variations that deny it this characterization. Most such sculptures only have some parts that move, with a firm component holding the structure as such. The golden years of kinetic sculpture were the 50s and the 60s when the first mobile artists imposed themselves in the arts: Len Lye, Yaacov Agam, Alexander Calder and many others.
Quite many techniques, styles and methods combine in the creation of kinetic structures. Take for instance the mobile, which is considered the basic form of kinetic sculpture relying on the principle of the equilibrium. Imagine several rods with objects hanging from them in an arrangement that maintains a balance so that the rods stay in a more or less horizontal position. The objects rotate around their own axis, being therefore mobile. The maker of this kind of kinetic sculpture is Alexander Calder. Presently, there are all sorts of kinetic sculpture competitions held in various locations on the globe.
The effects of kinetic sculpture in general depend on the intention of the artist, on the terrain on which the sculpture is located as well as on the physical principles that it uses as starting point in the first place. Kinetic sculpture therefore, is considered a bridge between art and science, a form of reconciliation between the abstract of the theoretic approach and the concrete of the form in space. Moreover, such artistic manifestations prove that science is not the opposite of art but a complementary field of activity that serves as a basis for all sorts of challenges.
The most likely locations where you'll admire kinetic sculpture are parks, public properties, museums, public gardens, city squares and the like. However, a more recent outdoor decoration tendency is to have some small form of kinetic sculpture in the personal garden. The spectacular effect is achieved when such forms of art are powered by wind or by a small waterfall you have designed in the garden. Kinetic sculpture changes the aesthetic perception of a place and fits great in the middle of nature. There is surely harmony between the balance of such a sculpture and the natural move of the tree branches for instance. Sheerly beautiful!