Balaganchik
Tales We Tell is a series of small-scale mechanical sculptures based on popular folk tales. Collectively, they examine the underlying moral messages of fairy tales and their effect on child’s psyche. Each sculpture is a wind-up toy comprised of a painted wooden box with moving figures, as well as music clockwork that plays a custom-composed melody particular to each scene.
Balaganchik
2025
Wind-up music box, acrylic paint, wood, mixed media
7.50” x 14” x 5” each
Original music composition Yevgeniy Sharlat
Technical development Theodore Johnson
"Balaganchik" (Балаганчик) is a Russian word that literally translates to “little fairground booth”, “puppet theater” or “traveling entertainment tent”. These sculptures explore the tragicomic interplay between reality and illusion, combining representation of self and symbolic characters.
Each sculpture is a wind-up toy comprised of a painted wooden box with moving figures, as well as music clockwork that plays a custom-composed melody particular to each scene.
The music is played by a revolving brass cylinder that plucks the tuned teeth of a steel comb. The miniature size encourages up-close viewing, and visitors are allowed to pick up the toy in order to operate the wind-up mechanism.