Sculpture in which actual movement is an essential part of the work, driven by wind, motors, gravity, mechanical systems, or viewer interaction.
Kinetic sculpture is sculpture designed to incorporate actual movement as an essential element of the work. Motion may be produced by wind, motors, gravity, water, mechanical systems, or direct interaction with the viewer.
Unlike sculpture that merely suggests movement through pose or composition, kinetic sculpture physically changes position or configuration over time. The movement may be continuous, intermittent, predictable, or highly responsive to environmental conditions.
Etymology
From Greek kinētikos, “of motion,” from kinein, “to move.”
Sculptor Notes
In kinetic sculpture, movement becomes a sculptural material in its own right. Balance, bearings, wind load, fatigue, maintenance, and the choreography of changing silhouettes can be as important as mass and surface.
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_sculpting; https://www.getty.edu/education/teachers/classroom_resources/curricula/sculpture/background1.html; https://www.getty.edu/publications/keepitmoving/