Brummackscher Kreisel / Brummack’s Top

The German word for traffic circle, Kreisverkehr, is often colloquially shortened to Kreisel, which is also how they refer to a top, the spinning children’s toy. This sculpture captures the double meaning of the word: the oversized children’s toy stands prominently in center of the grassy island in the middle of the traffic circle and illustrates the movement of the vehicles around it. Another word for a top is a Brummkreisel, which is a combination of the words for humming and spinning. The sculpture also incorporates this sense of sound and movement, but they are created by the flow of traffic instead of the toy itself.
With this work, the artist not only plays with words, but also with stasis and movement. A main function of a top is to spin, but here it remains still; instead, its surroundings are the source of movement and even make the top itself look dynamic.