Marvellous Mechanics: Carlos’ Story

Carlos Zapata has been creating automata for nearly 25 years. He has always had an interest in visual arts, and in 1985 he visited the Cabaret Mechanical Theatre (CMT) in London’s Covent Garden. The ideas stayed with him for over a decade and 13 years later he showed some of his own creations to Sue Jackson, owner of CMT. She loved them so much she invited him to join Cabaret.

For him, like many, automata aren’t simply toys. Instead, these delightful mechanical creations tell stories, they make sense of big and complicated moments and emotions with humour, craft, and care. His pieces are vibrant and full of emotion, often exploring political themes and drawing on his Colombian background.

“Often it’s sort of a happy accident and we create an interesting automata, hopefully.” Cornish makers stood at the heart of a revival of automata, and their different approaches to creation make the creations all the more wonderful. These machines are hand crafted with people and their stories at the centre.

But for Carlos, at the end of the day, what matters is “this magic you see in people’s faces, whether you are 5 or 85.” It’s about inspiring people. Hoping that they go away encouraged to explore their own creativity somehow and get stuck in. “That would be a great achievement for me.”

Watch Carlos’ story…