musical swings by daily tous les jours empathiCITY exhibition

’21 balançoires’ by daily tous les joursall images by olivier blouin

’21 balançoires’ is a giant collective instrument. the public installation, produced for the quartier des spectacles in the center of montreal, canada, is composed of 21 swings, which each individually trigger a selection of different musical notes. however, when they are used together, melodies begin to emerge as a result of people’s cooperation with one another. developed by montreal collective daily tous les jours, the project explores notions of collaboration and the positive outcomes which can be a result of working together.

the work is included in the ’empathiCITY, making our city together’ exhibition at the 2013 biennale internationale design saint-etienne. curated by josyane france and laetitia wolff, the show investigates the biennale’s theme of ’empathy’ through the residents of different municipalities that are part of UNESCO‘s creative cities network which include: beijing, berlin, buenos aires, graz, kobe, montreal, nagoya, saint-etienne, seoul, shanghai, and shenzhen; articulated through a series of urban interventions which turn the streets into a domain for democratic expression.

the musical swings light up when in use to enhance the overall sensorial experience

when the swings are used collectively, melodies begin to emerge…

the installation is situated in the quarter des spectacles in montreal, canada

the public intervention turns the street into a domain for democratic expression

’21 balançoires’ – an exercise in musical cooperation

video courtesy of daily tous les jours

biennale internationale design saint-étienne 8th edition from 14th to 31st march 2013empathy, or experiencing the other50 exhibitions, 29 rendez-vous, 60 places

created in 1998, the biennale internationale design saint-étienne has established itself as a major design event for the professional and general public, on an international scale. a rendez-vous firmly rooted in innovation, prospective, and research through design.

the 8th edition will run from the 14th through to the 31st march 2013, with the ambition of further developing interactions between the saint-etienne region and designers, local cultural and economic actors, and national and international invited guests. the biennale is taking place throughout the saint-etienne region, hosting more than forty exhibitions at the cité du design and other external sites, along with conferences and events organized by numerous different actors.