Sharmanka Kinetic Theatre

One man’s passion is another man’s nightmares. The Sharmank Kinetic theater is not to be missed if you are a fan o Tim Burton/Steampunk/Science Fiction. The whole place is just a melange of imagery, music, and weird shapes and sizes. I was excited to see it and it did not disappoint. The whole show is roughly about an hour, and you walk around the entire area while the creations come to life with music and animatronics; you’re not told which one is starting next or the order, you just follow the sounds and music and wait for each exhibit to end. It’s all so surreal but such an interesting experience. It’s jarring one moment, whimsical the next, creepy in the inspiration, but a memory that will last for a lifetime.

It is all so magical! I have just made my third visit, this time a private viewing with 7 friends who didn't know anything about Sharmanka, and all of whom were absolutely bowled over, several are planning to take r family members for another visit. The viewing is very well organised, you are shown one piece at a time, and given long enough to really take in all the details, but not long enough to get bored. For me it was enhanced by both being a private viewing with friends, also because the young man in charge was a family member of the creator's, and was able to tell so much about the history of the pieces and the creator. Because the rest of the space is in darkness and only one piece lit at any one time, there is an added atmosphere of other-worldliness to the strange creatures that seem to be working the pieces. i think as a child it would both have fascinated me and given me nightmares. i shall certainly be making another visit.

We booked whilst having a short City break. I went with my friend and our two 11 year old daughters. We’d seen it advertised online but wasn’t 100% sure what to expect once there. It’s not the easiest place to find and Google took us all around the houses so put the exact location in rather than the event name.

On arrival, we showed our tickets and then we’re allowed to look around as we were a little early. Most of the exhibits are inactive so don’t expect to go and see everything operational.

At the start of the show the host explained what would happen and a little bit about the history of Sharmanka. Then the show begins. The exhibits work to music, each area slowly lighting up as it starts to operate. There’s so many moving parts that it becomes mesmerising to see what comes next. After the 3 exhibits, we were then taken to the other end of the room to see the specific show. It lasted for about 20-25 minutes I think but I enjoyed every minute. We were dubious whether the girls would like but their comment of ‘it was cool’ was a pretty good thumbs up from young teenagers.

It would have been nice to perhaps spend more time and seeing more but I guess that’s how they get you to go back and yes… I probably would.

We were lucky enough to visit Sharmanka last weekend as a group. It was an incredible experience and we were riveted to the show which was entrancing. The kinetic sculptures are so detailed and interesting plus the combination of music, lighting and shadows which brings the whole thing to life. I would recommend this 100%. Our guide gave us plenty of background information and we were able to look around and take some photos at the end of the show. Brilliant! Thank you Sharmanka!

A truly unforgettable cultural experience: the pieces are rich with symbolism and the accompaniment of music, lights and movement turned it into a performance that was both touching and entertaining.

The gallery manager was enthusiastic and informative in his explanations on the art pieces; and he was attentive and professional in regards to all the measures put in place for Covid-19 safety.

I would definitely recommend Sharmanka to anyone looking for a cultural experience in Glasgow!

I dragged a group of colleagues along with me in June, some of them admittedly a bit skeptical of my proposal: It's an art installation out of scrap! Who doesn't love scrap?

All skepticism was shattered and all of us were deeply moved by what Edvard and Tatyana created, and we talked about it for days after. The figures are all kinds of things in and of themselves: uncanny, funny, creepy, sympathetic, mystical even. Once they're brought to life by the movement, music, light and shadows (watch them!), the experience sucks you right in, and it feels like it's teaching you something, especially with the background knowledge Sergey, our guide, shares with you about Edvard's life.

I advise any potential visitors to first watch each installation for a bit before reading up on its' meaning. Chances are you interpret them completely differently than the artist intended, but interpret them you definitely will!

I highly recommend going.

Sharmanka is a mix of gallery and art show. The sculptures are fascinating, bizarre, sometimes frightening, but they all tell a story. We saw the 60min show in which the Machines are illuminated and a sound or music was added to every piece. It is a journey through time and different cultures. It provokes to make me think
It is absolutely worth the money. The show might not be for everybody, but if You are interested in modelling, building machines or miniatures or modern art it is a must see.
Book in advance, theres limited tickets. We got the last two one day prior to the show.
Thanks Sharmanka and have fun!

An incredible experience, you have to go see this.

I don't know what else to write, the Wheels of Life show took my breath away. It's a very emotional art installation, exquisite to look at before the machines even start moving. And then they start up, lit beautifully and with the perfect soundtrack that completes the experience, and it's spellbinding.

This introduced me to the world of Kinetic Theatre and really taps into the imagination.
Great for adults and children alike. I was there as part of a birthday treat
The moving sets are an incredible work of art and are rich with history and culture.
This is a much needed relief during these times of Covid-19 when Theatre is scareceand offers something I shamefully wasn't even aware was on my own doorstep in Glasgow, Scotland until now, when it's been hailed as one of the "top ten" things to do in the city centre.
Give yourself, friends and family a unique experience. The owners are very responsive via email, friendly and accommodating.
I'll definitely be back!

Great when guide explained where the moving parts of the sculptures came from & the reason they were used. So skilfully done as were the wooden sculptures. Also hearing how the exhibition came to Glasgow from Russia was so interesting- nice to get a bit of history from a family member.