Mesa Musical Shadows

Mesa Art Center, Arizona, US

In the warmest areas of the world, the sun sets the pace of life. When cities become unlivable because of their scalding concrete, creating shaded areas in public spaces becomes a priority. Musical Shadows plays with this tension to show that another type of urban life is possible whatever the climate.

Designed to be in direct relationship with the sun, this installation is an interactive pavement that plays music with light. Passers-by are invited to explore how their shadows trigger musical notes, and how they can express themselves with their whole body in public space.

Shadows & Music

As the sun moves throughout the day, shadows stretch and transform, altering their orientation and intensity. Three interactive soundscapes were developed for the artwork: one for the long shadows at sunrise and sunset, another for the short shadows at midday, and a third for the nighttime shadows created by surrounding artificial ambient lights.

A Dance With the Sun

Dawn or dusk, the same combinations of melody and instrument may never be heard twice. Musical Shadows’s many musical possibilities provide a sense of surprise and exploration for both everyday participants and one-time visitors. People are free to choose how they want to engage, simply walking through the pavement or dancing with their entire bodies; alone or together.

© Daily tous les jours

Behind the Scenes

Awards and Recognitions

  • Americans for the Arts - National Recognition to the Best in Public Art Projects - 2017

Credits

    • A project by Daily tous les jours
    • Permanent installation at the Mesa Arts Center, funded by Artplace America and the City of Mesa.
  • Creative Direction
    • Mouna Andraos
    • Melissa Mongiat
  • Production
    • Antoine Clayette
    • Steve Blanchette
  • Technological Direction
    • Eva Schindling
  • Interactive Direction
    • Pierre Thirion
  • Narrative Design
    • Anne Ouellette
  • Sound Direction
    • Michael Baker
  • Industrial Design
    • Dikini
  • Sound Directiony
    • David Drury
  • Engineering
    • Thibaut Lefort, Latéral
    • Remy Studli
  • Production Coordination
    • Anna Gazel
  • Production Assistance
    • Malcom Remple
  • Fabrication
    • Formule CNC
    • Maître d’oeuvre
  • Video Images
    • Slaven Gujic
    • Katie Lambert, Evoaz.com
  • Editing
    • Geoffrey Boulangé
  • Special Thanks
    • Lucandrea Baraldi, Inès Ortega, Cindy Ornstein, Rob Schultz, Jean Kaminski, and all at the wonderful wonders of the Mesa Arts Center, from the start backers Michael Tingley, Shawn Jordan, David Crummey, and precious production collaborators Trevor Collon, Daniel Petit, Caroline Gueugnon (CVG Consulting), Cyrus M. Bilimoria, CORE and Talis construction.
  • Powered with the help of
    • MaxMSP
    • Arduino

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