Timewheel, Installation artwork near City Park, Hungary
The Timewheel is an installation made of granite, steel, and glass that functions like a monumental hourglass with chambers and flowing glass particles. The construction rests on built-in rails that allow a complete reversal of the structure.
The unveiling took place on May 1, 2004, marking Hungary joining the European Union. The site was previously occupied by a Lenin monument removed after the fall of communism.
The name links the physical rotation of the object with the cyclical understanding of time in Hungarian culture. Visitors see a contemporary symbol of continuity and renewal at a site that once held a political statue.
The installation stands freely accessible by the roadside near City Park. The annual rotation takes place on New Year's Eve and lasts about 45 minutes.
Finely ground glass particles move through the chambers and take exactly one year to travel from top to bottom. Four technicians rotate the entire construction with steel cables and special mechanisms when the new year begins.
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