18 Boules Noires Sur un Fond Noir

A motorized kinetic relief by Pol Bury comprising 18 black spheres set against a black-painted wood panel. An electric motor introduces gradual, irregular movement to the clustered forms, subtly altering the monochrome composition over time. The work reflects Bury’s defining exploration of slow movement, duration and perception.

2004
Painted wood and electric motor
48.03 H × 31.50 W × 7.87 D in. (122 H × 80 W × 20 D cm)
Markings: Signed, dated and titled on the verso
Documentation: Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by Galerie Louis Carré & Cie, Paris

About the Maker:
Pol Bury (Belgian, 1922–2005) was a pioneering figure in postwar kinetic art. After beginning as a painter within Belgian Surrealist and CoBrA circles, he turned to moving sculpture in the 1950s and developed a distinctive body of motorized works defined by slow, nearly imperceptible motion. His sculptures made time an essential part of the viewing experience, using concealed mechanisms to produce unexpected and continually changing compositions. Bury received major public commissions for the Palais-Royal in Paris and the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, and his work is held by institutions including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Tate.