Machines of the Isle of Nantes, Art project in Nantes, France
The Machines of the Isle of Nantes is an artistic exhibition area housed in former shipyard buildings. It features mechanical creatures, including a 12-meter-high elephant that carries visitors through the grounds, as well as a carousel with 35 moving sea creatures displayed across three levels.
The transformation started in 2007 when artists François Delarozière and Pierre Orefice converted the abandoned shipyard into mechanical workshops. This former industrial site became exhibition spaces that honor the city's maritime craftsmanship heritage.
The artistic vision blends the site's industrial past with imagination drawn from Jules Verne's novels and Leonardo da Vinci's designs. Visitors experience engineering and art merged together in ways that feel alive and purposeful.
The site operates year-round and visitors can join guided tours in multiple languages. You can activate some mechanical systems yourself to see how they work up close.
The large elephant operates like a rack railway and moves slowly across wooden and metal structures. Many visitors don't realize the inner mechanics are operated by hand rather than being fully automated.
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