One year before this work was created Jean Tinguely had worked on the »Cafeteria zur Münz« in Zürich. It is quite likely that Daniel Spoerri provided significant input into that work. Spoerri was then teaching at the Kunstakademie in Munich. When, on one occasion, Tinguely visited his friend in his Munich studio, one new work in particular fascinated him: a glowing image with a knot of light chains and lightbulbs that Spoerri had purchased at a Munich flea market. Tinguely wanted the ‘Lamp Picture’ and gave Spoerri his object work »Large Lamp« in exchange.

Jean Tinguely is well-known for his machines, which rotate, chime and rattle in absurd motions; but Eva Aeppli is connected with immobile, dignified, even sad figures which appear dumbly to look straight through you. Often, they are eyeless, full of pain and sorrow. »I want them to fly« says Eva Aeppli and her friend Jean Tinguely has made sure it happens. Although they weren’t made light and weightless – that could not be expected of Tinguely’s work – but they dangle and shake and come alive. And so a number of collaborations came about, of which one was given to Daniel Spoerri.