NOX/Lars Spuybroek
Whispering Garden is a public art work next to
Hotel New York in Rotterdam, that we based on the
myths of Lorelei and the Sirens, luring the ships
onto the rocks. All the possible wind properties
(direction, force, duration) are used to have
computer-generated female voices continuously
singing vowels splitting into other vowels,
making overtones proliferate, creating a
polyphonic forest of sound. The steel structure
brings the whirls from Mucha's hair-arabesques
into a systemacy of crossings and mergings
supporting green glass panels. The faceted glass
shatters the light into many directions, and with
every step we take there will be a new flicker, a
new variation of emerald shading. Whispering
Garden is a synaesthetic node, short-circuiting
all elements and forces that are present:
connecting the wind to light, light to structure,
structure to sound, sound to architecture,
architecture to bodies, looping all the loops,
making everything sensing everything, making everything sensuous.
Credits: NOX/Lars Spuybroek with Hanna Stiller,
Stephen Form and Beau Trincia, in collaboration
with sound artist Edwin van de Heide.
Program: Public Artwork for the City of
Rotterdam, competition - first prize.
Planned opening: end 2006.
