It’s magical ability to capture our imagination is as miraculous as the device itself. Elaborate wind-up machines called automata, or automatons, are mechanical marvels dating from a time as early as the 13th century. Tom Haney, the artist of these automata, has always been fascinated by mechanical movement. “The work I create today is a modern offshoot of the time-honored Old World tradition of automata,” he says. Using carved wood and old objects as his main materials, his art brings new life into obsolete artifacts, literally.
Inspired by earlier innovators like Edison, Bell and the Wright Brothers, to the more contemporary work of Calder, Haney incorporates multi-dimensional movement that extends the viewer’s perspective of the piece as more than its material. It’s a process that he describes as “clockwork”, where the actual “work” is hidden inside his whimsical, puppet-like figures; blacksmiths hammering away in their workshop, kids playing on a seesaw, or a girl swimming in the deep blue sea.
“I love the old ways of doing things, old tools and traditional techniques. Working with one’s hands still has value. I believe there is a magical transformation that happens when mechanical movement is added to a static figure. This movement captures a viewer’s attention and holds it to the point where they are drawn into interpreting the stories the piece conveys.”
Darius Hulea's figures are forged in metal wire, yet carry a ghostly, apparating quality. The Romania-based artist depicts a range of figures, from Ferdinand I and violinst George Enesco to philosopher Mircea Eliade and sculptor Frederic Storck. The artist moves between differing types of metal, as well, including bronze, iron, steel, copper, and brass.
The surreal sculptures of 
Taking influence from Byzantine art and other eras of religious art, Aleksandar Todorovic renders contemporary tech figures as religious icons and social media symbols as sacred, in egg tempera and acrylic. Elsewhere, his painted and sculpture works look at consumerism and contemporary global politics. He recently displayed this works under the title “Religion Remastered.”
From sculpture to photography and video art, every aspect of Italian artist