Sunday, October 16, 2005

Playing the Building

A fascinating architectural study by David Byrne in Fargfabriken, Stockholm, SW called "Playing the Building" is on exhibition October 8- Nov 13, 2005. I am particularly interested in the description of "[Byrne] has turned the architecture itself, the space and its construction, into a musical instrument. The sounds are produced without any amplifiers at all, via vibrations and resonances. Visitors really will be able to Ă‚“play the buildingĂ‚”, with harmonies, bass and a rhythm section at their disposal." (e-flux newsletter). I have seen and experienced projects of creating architecture to music, but usually it is with amplification. I appreciate the boldness of requiring the participant to tune in (no pun intended) to the nuances of the architecture so as to fully understand the project. I would suppose this project is one to appreciate not on opening night, but for the long solitary hours during the show, so as to transform the gallery space into a concert hall for the solitude. Bravo.

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