The Physics of Found Objects
Steampunk HQ is housed in an 1883 grain elevator building, its limestone structure providing a historical backdrop for retro-futuristic technology. The museum, which opened in November 2011, repurposes industrial and mechanical waste into interactive art that shows fundamental scientific principles. Outside, a modified NZR DS class diesel locomotive is a primary exhibit. This sculpture is an assembly of scrap metal and salvaged industrial parts. For a small fee, it activates a sequence of lights and sounds, culminating in it expelling flames from its smokestack.
Inside the darkened galleries, the exhibits explore themes of a post-apocalyptic future powered by steam. One central piece is the "Metagalactic Pipe Organ," an interactive installation that allows visitors to create a range of extraterrestrial and industrial sounds. This device uses the core principles of acoustics; pressing the keys forces air through repurposed pipes and chambers of varying lengths and shapes, causing the air columns to vibrate at different frequencies to produce sound. The organ shows how resonance can be generated from unconventional materials. The collection has objects made from copper, gears, and gas cylinders, all constructed from recycled materials.