Carnival Fountain, Moving metal fountain near Theater Basel, Switzerland

The Carnival Fountain, or Fasnachts-Brunnen, is a fountain by Jean Tinguely on Theaterplatz in Basel, consisting of ten black mechanized sculptures in an irregular basin measuring 16 by 19 metres. The sculptures were built partly from movable set pieces of the old city theatre's stage. Low-voltage motors and water nozzles drive the figures, which spray water jets. The basin edge is about 25 centimetres high, and the water is 19 centimetres deep.

Built between 1975 and 1977 on the site of the stage of Basel's old, demolished city theater, the fountain was a gift from the Migros cooperative to the city. Its ten mechanized sculptures were partly assembled from movable set pieces of the former stage. In 2002 a festival with special illumination and salutes marked its 25th anniversary.

The fountain's name references Basel's Fasnacht carnival, the major celebration that defines the city's identity each year. The metal structure serves as a natural gathering place for locals and theater audiences who stop to watch the water dance.

The basin is 16 by 19 metres with an irregular shape and a rim only about 25 centimetres high, so you can look straight across the water at the ten black sculptures. The water is just 19 centimetres deep. This is one of three Basel fountains that neither supply drinking water nor may be used for bathing. Stone benches stand around it in front of bushes and hedges.

Each component of the metal construction follows its own rhythm and was designed so the water jets move differently depending on rotation speed. This kind of individualized mechanics was an unusual and innovative approach to public art when it was built.