What would you do if you came upon a tree with a giant turnkey sticking out of it? If you’re the curious type, you’ll turn it, of course – and in this case, you’ll be rewarded with the sound of music. ‘The Clockwork Forest’ is a public installation by art collective Greyworld in the woods of Grizedale, England.
The Clockwork forest (2011) from greyworld on Vimeo.
Shared by designer Andrew Shoben at this year’s Design Indaba conference in South Africa, The Clockwork Forest involved a series of turnkeys being affixed to trees in the woods, inviting passersby to come closer and inspect them. The music that results from turning the key seems to turn the entire forest into one big music box, adding a layer of man-made sound to all of the natural sounds of wildlife in the woods.
Commissioned by the National Forestry Commission of England, The Clockwork Forest aims to foster interaction between the forest and its visitors. See more photographs of the project at Greyworld (via Design Boom).

