Kinetica Artfair

The MAD Museum (Mechanical Art & Design) is set to unbolt its doors and open to the public on 23rd March 2012. Based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, this permanent museum is centrally located in the town which receives millions of visitors each year. Famous for being the birthplace of playwright William Shakespeare, Stratford is England’s most visited town outside of London. 

The museum will house a fascinating collection of Kinetic Art, Automata and Steampunk exhibits from selected artists all over the world. It is set to be the only permanent exhibition of its kind in the UK. With two floors showcasing over 20 large pieces and a multitude of smaller items, plus an outside area for wind and water sculptures, the museum is sure to attract visitors galore. 

The MAD Museum is proud to feature exhibits from internationally renowned artists such as Jennifer Townley, David Williams, Willi Reiche, Pascal Bettex, Patrice Hubert, Sam Zealey amongst many others. 

The project is the fruition of a lifelong ambition by founder Richard Simmons who has a passion and fascination for the intricacies of movement within structures and machines to create art. The team includes his son Iain and nephew Mike Abbotts and they have already found the experience of finding artists and collating the machines hugely rewarding and fun. Richard commented “The project seems to really be filling a gap whereby artists with great work have few opportunities to exhibit. This has meant the engagement of the artists to our project has been incredible. The MAD team is confident that in an era where so much entertainment is governed by electronic games, a permanent exhibition of ‘physics and engineering in action’ will be a welcome change for parents, teachers and young people alike.”

As such the MAD Museum will continually add pieces to their collection for loaned periods or permanent display. The MAD Museum team would love to speak with anyone interested in visiting the museum or discuss showcasing the work of additional artists.