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Rodafonio Is a Machine that Reinvents the Wheel, Proves Mechanics Move Music

We have all agreed with the fact that 3,500 BC was the year when the wheel was invented. Sure, actual automobile wheels we now see everywhere begin their existence somewhere back in the 19th century, with Karl Benz’s 1885 Benz Paten Motorwagen being the first to use them. All these and a lot more is just history, but who would have thought there is still room for somebody to completely reinvent it into a true work of art that perfectly combines geometry and music.
Factoria Circular playing live 13 photos
Photo: Factoria Circular
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Imagine a gigantic wheel that’s four meters high and only 15 cm (13ft 6inch) wide. Dubbed Rodafonio, the odd wheel is the creation of designer and musician Cesar Alvarez Bayer and was designed to accommodate a crew of five – the members of the Catalan music band ‘Factoria Circular’.

While three musicians sit inside playing their instruments – a guitar, a saxophone and a set of drums and occasionally spin inside the giant wheel – the other two members keep the ambulant work of art moving.

Deeper into the details

It’s like watching a Cirque du Soleil show that has everything from balancing, music and funny people, all together performing live. While the band is playing, two actors are smiling, cheering and making the smaller wheels turn.

The traveling street show is the brainchild of a beautiful collaboration between the principles of geometry and music. Rodafonio was created for La Merce, an annual festival that involves music, dance, performing arts and popular culture activities for six days, in order to observe the Roman Catholic feast day of ‘Our Lady of Mercy’.

The wheel started spinning four years ago and ever since has been traveling in several countries, such as Austria and Chile. “The music moves the mechanics or is it mechanics what move music? Rodafonio is a traveling show of street, moving geometry that focuses on the condensation of image with sound”, the magical wheel is described on the band’s website.

We’ve listed a short clip with the band performing live, but we’re pretty sure seeing it in real life is worth the struggle. Maybe Barcelona should be our summer destination for this year.

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