'playing the building' by david byrne

the battery maritime building 10 south street, new york city
31 may – 24 august, 2008

artist david byrne may be best known for his music with the band talking heads
and as a solo artist, however his latest musical project is something completely
different. ‘playing the building’ is an interactive sound installation created by byrne
and installed in the battery maritime museum in new york. a small organ sits in
the massive building, with wires spawning from the rear. touching the keys will
not play the according note but rather ‘play’ part of the building. the wires are
sending signals to a variety of mechanisms, which vibrate columns, radiators
or beams in the building. the effect is a keyboard, which plays the building,
which has effectively been transformed into an instrument.

related