| Archimedean Excogitation | |
|---|---|
 Visitors observing the sculpture in 2014 | |
| Artist | George Rhoads |
| Year | 1987 |
| Medium | Metal and assorted other materials [1] |
| Movement | Kinetic art |
| Dimensions | 8.2 m× 2.4 m× 2.4 m(27 ft× 8 ft× 8 ft) [2] |
| Location | Museum of Science, Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Website | georgerhoads |
Archimedean Excogitation is a 1987 audiokinetic rolling ball sculpture by George Rhoads. It is located in the atrium of the Museum of Science in Boston.
| External video | |
|---|---|
 Archimedean Excogitation in operation |
Archimedean Excogitation consists of a metal and glass display case framing a system of nine tracks on two main levels. [1] [3] The lower level tracks contain billiard balls, which encounter a series of mechanical obstacles as they roll, some of which (such as a drum and xylophone) produce noise. [4] [1] The upper level tracks contain larger duckpin bowling balls, [5] which push windmill blades and encounter similar obstacles. [3] [4] In total, the sculpture has slightly fewer than 30 moving or sound-producing components, [6] and is 27 feet (8.2 m) tall. [2]
Archimedean Excogitation was commissioned for the Museum of Science in Boston, with a budget of $536,100. [6] It was designed by George Rhoads, with assistance from Rock Stream Studios, and was installed in 1987. [2]
In 2015, the sculpture was refurbished and moved from the museum's lower lobby to its atrium. [5]
Archimedean Excogitation has been a popular attraction for museumgoers. [1] [4] Metta Winter, writing for The Christian Science Monitor , described it as "a noisy, unpredictable affair observers find hard to walk away from". [1] Hayley Kaufman, writing for The Boston Globe , called it "seemingly unstoppable [and] delightfully complex". [4] It is associated with the kinetic art movement.
The sculpture is used by the museum as an educational tool to help illustrate the principles of physics and mechanical devices. [1] It was featured on a 1999 episode of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood . [7]
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