Hasta La Ideas

Mark Nixon of London studio CZWG has turned a bridge in Aarhus, Denmark, into a musical instrument by hanging metal pipes from the underside.

Varying in length, the 600 gold-anodized aluminium pipes move freely in the breeze, sounding like a traditional wind chime when they collide.

People on the bridge can touch interactive nodes on its surface to activate the chimes in a controlled order, playing the instrument.

Named Chimecco, the sculpture forms part of this year’s Sculpture by the Sea exhibition, which takes place entirely outdoors.

More projects in Denmark on Dezeen »

Here is some more information from Nixon:

Chimecco, an interactive instrument

Sculpture by the Sea, Aarhus Denmark

Mark Nixon’s kinetic sculpture ‘Chimecco’ has been realised as part of the exhibition ‘Sculpture by the Sea’ in Aarhus, Denmark: one of the most popular outdoor sculpture exhibitions in the world – which last year drew crowds of over 500,000 people.

Mark’s design for a large interactive wind chime was selected as one of the winners of an open competition from over 350 submissions.

Mark has spent the last month in Aarhus helping to construct the piece together with a team of assistants.

The piece is constructed from 600 50mm diameter gold anodized aluminium pipes ranging in length from 120 mm up to 3750mm.

These pipes are attached to the underside of a bridge and with a series of interactive nodes on the top surface that allow for people to “play” the instrument.

The design is based on three conceptual ideas.

• The idea of music and interaction as a catalyst for conversation and play.
• The non-visual object. The sculpture is ‘hidden’ beneath the bridge. A constant varying in wind conditions on the site mean that the sculpture will hide and reveal itself through the creation of sound when the wind choses to blow. Some days the sculpture will be discovered, creating a beautiful moment of realisation in the viewer, while other day the sculpture will remain still and may be completely passed by. The use of interactive nodes on the top creates another interesting effect. Due to the object being hidden while it is played a condition of performers and audience is created. The piece can be experienced in a number of different ways but never in its totality.
• Creation through the combined interactions of human movement and natural movement.

See also:

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Garden of 10,000 Bridges by West 8	Slightly Windy by José Ferrufino	Trees for Lycée Germaine Tillon by Matali Crasset