Conrad Shawcross unveils his most ambitious rope machine yet

Working at the intersection of physics, philosophy and art, Conrad Shawcross creates mechanical sculptures that are monumental in their scale. At 10m high, his new work The Nervous System (Umbilical), is his most ambitious yet. Composed of 40 interlocking arms that weave umbilical-like rope in sequences that are never repeated, it is synonymous with the movements of our solar system, tracing the planets orbiting the sun in a spinning galaxy, itself flattening and expanding.

In its unpredictability and random nature, the work is as fragile as our planet itself. On show at London’s Here East until November 2025, the project will then transfer to the Museum of Old and New Art in Hobart, Tasmania. The work will continue to run, leaving only a coiled pile of rope as a tangible reminder of the passage of time.