music box garden sound installation: wasserklang by niklas roy + la belle imira

‘wasserklang modulsystem’ multichannel immersive sound installation at berlin’s technikmuseum all images © alisa kossak

a collaborative project between media artists niklas roy and la belle imira for berlin’s museum night 2011, ‘wasserklang modulsystem’ creates a dreamlike space in the garden of the technikmuseum, in which a number of music boxes are played by the turning of a water wheel.

several hundred meters of rope and pulleys were installed throughout the garden in order to connect each of eight music boxes to the spinning wheel. each piece played a different song (ranging from ‘moonlit sonata’ and ‘berliner luft’ to ‘my way’ and ‘what a wonderful world’) which together create an ever-changing soundscape.

the water wheel is part of the old forge of the museum of technology, once used to drive the hammers indoors but now running only vestigially. ‘this year’s museum night is themed with ‘music‘,’ roy explains, ‘so we decided to give the water wheel a new purpose as conductor of a music box orchestra.’

sound recordings of the installation

view of the installation by night

roy and imira strung hundreds of meters of cord throughout the garden space and old railtrack in order to power the eight music boxes

view of one segment of the pulley system that powers the music boxes

closer view of construction

detail view of music box

all cords ultimately run to the water wheel and down into this control room

production process and (beginning at 0:37) first test runs at the exhibition space