Canadian design studio Daily Tous Les Jours pride themselves on creating collective experiences that ‘empower people to have a place in the stories that are told around them’. With their recent project 21 Balançoires (21 swings), they have done just that, this time using music to create an enormous interactive installation on the streets of Montreal.
Actually, not just any street – 21 Balançoires is cleverly situated between a music complex and a science centre, literally and figuratively bridging the gap by turning it into an interactive instrument. Pre-recorded sounds from xylophones and pianos were programmed into the 21 swings, and are triggered when the swing is in motion. More complex melodies and harmonies arise when participants swing in unison; and when all 21 swings are in use, an additional special mode comes into play.
Besides being fun, this playful creation encourages a sense of ownership and connectedness in the often-impersonal spaces of bustling city centres. Designers Mouna Andraos and Melissa Mongiat call their installation ‘an exercise in musical cooperation… a game where together we achieve better things than separately.’
So, a good time with a good reason; what more can we ask for?
Photo by Olivier Blouin