Kinetic Dragon

As the lead carpenter for artist Michael Clark at Boom Festival I worked on three large-scale art installations that blended craftsmanship, imagination, and community spirit. Each project came with its own challenges — from tight timeframes and traditional joinery to sustainable reuse of past artworks — but together they showcased the diverse ways that carpentry can shape spaces and experiences.

Suspended by the lake, the Kinetic Dragon merged traditional craft with playful interactivity. Its timber frame drew heavily on French carpentry techniques, with precision joinery including mortise and tenon joints alongside other traditional methods. From this hand-built frame hung a sculptural dragon whose wings would flap as participants stood on the bar below, animating the beast with each movement. Precision, patience, and old-world techniques brought to life a fantastical creature that became one of the festival’s most engaging interactive art pieces.