Le Cyclop, Monumental sculpture and open-air museum in Milly-la-Forêt, France.

Le Cyclop is a 22-metre head of concrete and iron, weighing around 300 tonnes, built among four centuries-old oaks in the Milly forest. Its face is clad in thousands of small mirrors that reflect the trees; one eye holds a golden sphere, and a long tongue-slide drops from the open mouth into a small basin. Steel beams and a rusted armature support the mirrored skin.

Work began in 1969, initially without permission, when Jean Tinguely started building in the Milly forest with Paul Wiedmer. The first phase lasted about ten years, followed by fifteen more to install contributions from around fifteen artists. Tinguely and Niki de Saint Phalle donated the work to the French state in 1987; the official handover took place in 1994 in the presence of President François Mitterrand and culture minister Jacques Toubon.

The interior space was created through the combined efforts of several artists including Daniel Spoerri, César, and Eva Aeppli, each contributing their own installations. This collective approach shows how different creative visions came together to form a single artistic statement.

The sculpture stands in the Bois des Pauvres at Milly-la-Forêt, reached on foot through the trees; the mirrored face and the tongue-slide over its basin can be seen from outside. The interior, with its four levels, is visited only with a guide, so check opening days before travelling.

The interior features mechanical music, moving parts, and even a performance space that shifts and changes during visits. These working artistic elements create surprise moments that pure visual observers might not expect.