Mercedes-Benz Engine Art by Eric van Hove

The amount of work invested in this amazing creation is mind-blowing. It is a handmade V12 engine-cum-work of art. The master craftsman behind this project is Eric van Hove, a Belgian artist who took his inspiration from an intricate Mercedes-Benz engine.

While we have seen hand-built engines before, we have never heard of one that was manufactured of 53 different materials. Not until now, that is. Hove worked together with a team of 35 excellent craftsmen from Morocco, and after nine months of labor, this is what they accomplished.

After receiving the CDA-Projects Grant, the artist chose Morocco as a working site, inspired by the incredibly detailed Moroccan artistry. The team first disassembled a Mercedes engine and replicated each piece using brass, bone, wood and other materials. Then they carefully assembled the installation using 660 copper bolts and 465 beautifully reproduced parts. No wonder the entire project took so long!