‘phantom railings’ intervention by catalina pollak williamsonconceived by london based architect catalina pollak williamson of public interventions has conceived an installation in a garden in bloomsbury, whose railings were removed as part of the 1940s war effort and never replaced, leaving a line of iron stumps along the surrounding wall. using sensor-based acoustic devices, the exhibit makes evident the absence of a metal barrier by creating a resemblance of the familiar sound produced by running a stick along an iron fence. the pitch of each simulated acoustic projection is set to vary according to the pedestrian’s speed and proximity, allowing the phantom railings to be played and tuned as desired. influenced by the wartime initiative to democratise parks and gardens by removing the wall enclosures, the project engages with a centuries-old debate about public space and accessibility. the aim is to bring these subjects into question, promoting a critical awareness of the social and spatial history of the city in a way that is entertaining and, most importantly, available to all.
phantom railings – public intervention / malet street gardens, bloomsbury, london 2012
removal of railings, london 1940
phantom railings – public intervention / malet street gardens, bloomsbury, london 2012
phantom railings – public intervention / malet street gardens, bloomsbury, london 2012
phantom railings – public intervention / malet street gardens, bloomsbury, london 2012
phantom railings – public intervention / malet street gardens, bloomsbury, london 2012
phantom railings – public intervention / malet street gardens, bloomsbury, london 2012
phantom railings – public intervention / malet street gardens, bloomsbury, london 2012
phantom railings – public intervention / malet street gardens, bloomsbury, london 2012
phantom railings – public intervention / malet street gardens, bloomsbury, london 2012
project collaborators: guillaume zenses: musician and sound artist steven kelly: electronic product designer specialist adrian godwin: electric engineer jeroen janssen: architect, emergent technology specialist daniel soltis: physical interface creative technologist ken boak: electronic design engineer, open-source developer deborah davies: broadcast journalist, documentary filmmaker nathanael price: art historian and writer afonso martins: graphic designer bartira sena: musician
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