Lariat Chain

 

Based on the original by engineer-artist Norman Tuck, the Lariat Chain is a large interactive artwork in which a loop of lightweight beaded chain passes over a motorized, torque-limited bicycle wheel. The chain is constantly moving and reacts to the visitor's touch by creating sinuous, slow-moving waves. The visitor can send pulses through the chain or create one long wave that flows over the full length of the chain. If no one is nearby, the chain can contact a small brush on the floor, which provides the touch needed to create the mysteriously strange and beautiful motion of this cool exploration of wave physics.