Jean Tinguely, a Swiss visual artist, holds a major place in the kinetic art of the 20th century.

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In 1945, Tinguely created his first wire sculptures, thus beginning his singular artistic career. In the early 1950s, he moved to Paris, which gave his creation a new dynamic, giving birth to sets of automatons and kinetic sculptures. These are characterized by jerky mechanisms and imperfect functioning, thus embracing chance and constant renewal.

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Tinguely created numerous works in collaboration with his wife, Niki de Saint-Phalle, like the sculptures in the Tarot Garden in Tuscany. A member of the New Realists, Tinguely continues to create works using found objects and industrial materials in order to question the academicism of art. Inspired by Marcel Duchamp and the Ready-Made, he amuses the provocation and derision that are attributed to his works.

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In 1996, Niki de Saint Phalle created in Basel, Switzerland, the Tinguely Museum, to whom she bequeathed an important part of her husband's creations. Two Years Later, the Espace Jean Tinguely - Niki de Saint Phalle Opens in Fribourg. Tinguely is thus praised for his originality and sense of humor, but also for his ability to transform everyday objects into fascinating and astonishing works of art.