flowing UK river becomes engine for handcrafted kinetic installation by tom & matt

‘Flow’ turns River Neath into a water-powered animation

London-based directing duo Tom Wrigglesworth and Matt Robinson — known collectively as Tom & Matt — unveil Flow, a short film powered entirely by wooden waterwheels and the natural current of the River Neath in South Wales. The outdoor installation combines analog animation techniques with environmental storytelling, aiming to spotlight the urgent need to protect the UK’s freshwater habitats. Set along a quiet, picturesque stretch of the River Neath — a site as vulnerable to pollution as it is beautiful — the project transforms the river itself into a kinetic sculpture that brings the story of native wildlife to life through movement.

all images courtesy of Tom & Matt

tom & matt highlight the need to protect UK waterways

Instead of relying on modern tech, Tom & Matt stripped the process down to its essentials: water, wood, and movement. As the river flows, it turns a series of custom-built waterwheels. Each of these 21 wheels holds eight hand-cut wooden paddles, each paddle a single frame in a looping wildlife animation. The result: animated sequences that quite literally come to life through the movement of water. The team constructed a total of 168 individual paddles, each cut from 2mm FSC-certified wood sourced from responsibly managed forests. These loops represent native aquatic species, imagined as emerging from beneath the surface and cycling in endless motion — until the river stops. ‘If the river stops, so does all the wildlife within,’ the directing duo explains, underscoring the project’s message: flowing water is not only life-sustaining but essential to the very animation of ecosystems.

In contrast to the increasing dominance of AI and digital tools in filmmaking, Flow opts for tactility and simplicity. The project channels the spirit of early animation while delivering a contemporary environmental message — all without screens, batteries, or code. It’s a poetic reminder that sometimes, nature itself can be the most powerful storyteller.

as the river flows, it turns a series of custom-built waterwheels

each of the wheels holds eight hand-cut wooden paddles, each paddle a single frame in a looping wildlife animation

animated sequences that quite literally come to life through the movement of water

the project transforms the river itself into a kinetic sculpture

the team constructed a total of 168 individual paddles

‘if the river stops, so does all the wildlife within,’ the directing duo explains

project info:

name: Flow
directors: Tom & Matt

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: myrto katsikopoulou | designboom

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