Magical Mechanical Praxinoscope

2022–2024 Laser-cut wood and acrylic, mirrors, printed animation strips, hand-crank mechanism

A hand-cranked, multi-drum praxinoscope with looping animation strips, for interactive exhibition

The Magical Mechanical Praxinoscope is a large-format, hand-cranked or motorised device that visitors of all ages can enjoy. Unlike projected cinema, the image lives inside the machine — it only exists in motion. It is the One Second Cinema Experience.

The piece explores the social dimension of early animation technology: the praxinoscope was always a shared experience, its looping images gathering people around a central drum of mirrors and light. Part entertainment, part spectacle, the machine was invented by Charles-Émile Reynaud (1844–1918), French inventor and pioneer of projected animated images.

Praxinoscope drum strip — walking figure animation sequence.
Lotus bloom animation sequence strip.
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Collaborators & context

Ghorar Dim Studios