ferro Art Fink is my company specializing in fine art in the field of iron art. I am an iron artist and create art objects in the areas of sculpture and mechanical art. I began blacksmithing in 2012 and completed a training course in Ballenberg, Bern, from 2015 to 2017. Since then, I have continuously developed my skills and devoted myself to figurative blacksmithing. For me, blacksmithing, or blacksmithing, means craftsmanship and the elemental cohesion of nature, or even the natural mysticism of art.

The pieces are hand-forged and mostly contain a mechanical function. My works illustrate the symbiosis of nature between aesthetics and mechanics, that is, between appearance and utility. Everything is in motion, and mechanics are an essential part of nature. The sound of nature, represented by the sound elements, forms the bridge between the worlds and is a permanent connection to everything. The central element of my art is the combination of figurative iron art with mechanics and sound. The mechanism is embedded in the figure in such a way that it becomes part of the sculpture, yet does not stand out in a distracting way. The ratio is 2:1 (two parts figure; one part mechanism). Many art mechanics conceal the mechanism within the case and let the figure dance as the central object. However, I believe that the mechanism deserves more attention and should be shown. The mechanism is the heart of the entire movement and a crucial part of the overall work.

Art mechanics as such is derived from the art of watchmaking. This has its origins in blacksmithing. Tower clocks, for example, were made by blacksmiths. The style of my art is classical, with a strong harbinger of antiquity and the Renaissance, combined with neo-Victorian technological romanticism.

Mechanical Sculptures

In 2021, the film "Hugo Cabret" with Ben Kingsley was the initial spark for the creation of hand-forged automatons. From then on, I dedicated my art to figurative art mechanics.

My works are approximately 75% made of forged iron, complemented by mechanical components: chains, pinions, drive belts, and cam gears. Other materials such as bronze, brass, and wood are also used. The sculptures all have lightly treated surfaces.

Nature itself serves as a source of inspiration for my creations, or also called my muse, but also artistic mechanics in general, and especially the clockworks of the Zytglogge Tower in Bern, inspired my sound automatons.

My earthly role models include:

– Jean Tinguely

– Bernhard Luginbühl... and, of course, other artists in the field of artistic mechanics and figurative automaton construction.

"The artist is a funnel on two legs. What falls in at the top is expelled artistically at the bottom. Art is not a matter of education, but rather an individual perspective on things."

Manuel Fink