Rockabye

Rockabye is a contemporary functional sculpture by Antwerp-based artist Marius Ritiu that explores material transformation, cosmic imagery and sculptural narrative through meticulous hand-crafted processes. Hand-hammered from copper, the work exists simultaneously as a sculpture and a fully functional swing, inviting viewers to engage with it not only through observation but through movement and experience. The gentle arc of swinging becomes a poetic gesture, echoing the cyclical rhythms of planetary orbits, tides and the perpetual motion that governs both human life and the cosmos. Its luminous copper surface, marked by countless hammer blows, preserves the memory of its making while reflecting light in ways that continually transform its appearance. Balancing utility with artistic expression, Rockabye dissolves the traditional boundaries between design and sculpture, proposing that functional objects can also be vessels for contemplation. The work evokes childhood, play and moments of quiet suspension, while its celestial references expand these intimate experiences into reflections on gravity, time and our place within the universe. Through the union of craftsmanship, material and movement, Rockabye becomes both an object to inhabit and a sculptural meditation on balance, transformation and the enduring human desire to find harmony between the earthly and the cosmic.

Photos by: Tijs Vervecken