Matyáš Barák constructs Water Run interactive setup The Water Run by Matyáš Barák is a large-scale interactive installation that translates the blood circulation of water into a mechanical and spatial system. Measuring 6 × 2 meters, the project is made up of a stainless-steel track through which numerous wood balls move, forming a continuous circulation across a sequence of rotating segments.
The setup is structured around 21 movable aspects, each representing a point where water stops briefly within its broader journey. These segments are grouped into three thematic environments: natural landscapes, historical sites, and contemporary metropolitan contexts, mapping a series of locations where water is kept, rerouted, or utilized. Wetlands, ponds, and peat bogs appear together with mills, ironworks, abbeys, and castles, while extra sectors recommendation everyday facilities such as cleaning devices and filtering systems.
Interaction is main to the system’s style. Each section can be rotated, enabling visitors to modify the course of the moving balls and figure out how the flow continues. This system presents irregularity into the series, changing the installation into an open-ended spatial diagram formed through physical input. The act of turning components ends up being both a functional operation and a lively gesture, connecting movement, decision-making, and spatial understanding.
all images thanks to Matyáš Barák water run links play with water supply and infrastructure Illustrated graphics integrated along the track offer contextual referrals for each sector, linking the mechanical system to wider narratives about water circulation and usage. The mix of tactile interaction and visual hints supports several levels of engagement, from instinctive play to more comprehensive observation.
Material contrast plays a specifying function in the project by designer Matyáš Barák. The precision of the stainless-steel structure is set against the natural quality of the wood balls, establishing a relationship between engineered systems and natural cycles. The visible mechanics of the setup emphasize motion, gravity, and connection across the various components.
The task was developed for the castle complex in Žďár nad Sázavou, where it forms part of a play-oriented interior environment. Within this setting, the installation runs as both an interactive things and a spatial model, utilizing play as a method to explore the connections between landscapes, infrastructure, and everyday life.
the job translates water blood circulation into a mechanical system hundreds of wood balls move through the system a stainless steel track structures the setup