When it comes to home decorations and furnishing, the Sisyphus kinetic art coffee table sits right at the intersection of form and function.

You know the story of Sisyphus, right? In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was the king of Ephyra who was punished by Zeus for his deceitfulness and self-aggrandizement. He was forced to roll a massive boulder up a hill, only for it to roll down the hill back to the base of the hill every time he got it near the top, for eternity.

This coffee table takes that concept (of the constantly rolling boulder, not being deceitful enough to attract the wrath of the gods) and turns it into an elegant form of kinetic art that is reminiscent of a Zen garden.

A durable, welded steel frame and circular cut wooden panels make the bulk of the exterior of this Sisyphus kinetic art coffee table. And a sheet of tempered glass serves as the table top. Beneath that glass top lies a metal ball seated in a sea of sand, and this is where all the magic happens.

Using the free Sisyphus app on your phone which you can connect to the table via Wi-Fi, you can choose from over 200 tracks and once you’ve selected a track, it will control a robotic mechanism beneath the table which uses magnets to move the ball through sand endlessly – creating and erasing intricate, stunningly serene sand art patterns.

Each track produces a different pattern in the sand and they are all highlighted with mesmerizing colors from RGB light strips embedded in the sides of the table.

The app allows you to control the tracks (designs), ball speed, lighting modes, colors and more. You can even create your own custom tracks right from within the app. The table and app are both easy to install and connect without requiring an advanced degree in electronics. The simple and iconic design of the coffee table means it can fit in with most styles of home decoration, whether vintage or modern. At 36 x 36 x 16 inches, it is also a pretty portable piece of furniture, perfect for a bachelor pad or man cave.