The following was a Project Proposal I created for the 2009 - 2010 Abierto Madrid Outdoor Installation Contest. My proposal was one of thousands not chosed. Now I'm modifying it slightly for another installation competition....Why?? Because the World needs more swingsets that play Tarantella music....in my opinion.
Make Music Not War.
In general the piece reflects the following idea: A circular outdoor installation comprised of 8 old fashioned wooden swings. Each swing is connected to a speaker and a movement powered generator. When someone starts to swing and eventually reaches a height or speed consistent and powerful enough to produce enough energy to power one speaker music begins. Each swing is an instrument diverse, but all instruments together create the music of the Tarantella of Montemarno, Italy.
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You live in Madrid and it is February and 10 degrees and nice outside. Around 11 pm you and your boyfriend head outside to walk and find a bar for a glass of wine. Since you are one of those couples who is always searching for something to do, you walk past the Casa de América.
It is dark but a little ways off you see a swing sets. 4 swing sets, more or less, attached in the shape of a huge circle. The kind you’d find in a child’s playground, made of wood, not like the new kind made of plastic.
You look at each other and smile and you take a swing and your boyfriend runs across to the take the swing directly opposite you.
You start swinging and laugh and smile at him, and he starts swinging too.
There is a bit of a breeze, you felt it before but now you really feel it. The air moving through your hair, at both sides of your head. The rushing feeling of blood moving from your head to your stomach. Memories of being young….going to the park with your aunt. Its not long before you start to give it your all. Full force with your legs and leaning way back with your head. And then you hear music. You both do. A tambourine and castanets bellowing out into the night. You slow down but your boyfriend keeps swinging, and even harder.
Now there’s just the drum.
Craziness.
Before long you’ve called over a family of tourists that speak no Spanish and three teenagesrs that were walking through the park. With all of the swings taken, one of the teenagers begins dancing in the middle.
A few minutes pass together. Sometimes you move at the same pace as your boyfriend, while feet coming close in the middle, sometimes you don’t.
After sometime you find yourselves left alone again. Both of you slowdown and get off. There is now a very penetrating silence in the air. You read something close to the swings….you jot the words “Tarantella” and “Montemarano” down in the notebook you always carry in your bag.
I don’t live in Madrid and I have never had an experience like this one….. but I would like to.
With the presentation of this piece I hope to create an ephemeral experience that stays with the viewer in the form of a memory. The piece, for me, functions and when it is not in use, when it is in use by one, many, or 8 or more people.
The idea of PARTICIPATION is one of the fundamental aspects of the work. Participation is an undercurrent of almost all important movements in social change. With the current global crisis of energy consumption and resources I believe we are on the cusp of severe and drastic social involvement to create alternative forms of energy, but more importunately to integrate alternative forms of energy. Ray Kurzweil, the futurist and scientist has for years been speaking about the potential for alternative forms of energy production. What will it take for societies to fully embrace the responsibility of actions resulting in change. Perhaps fun. In my opinion this piece is fun. Allowing the participants to produce just enough energy with their swinging bodies (unlike exercise bikes, which are quite exhausting, very little exertion is required to swing) to produce music.
Community, being a part of society, making connections and keeping connections. I don’t think I need to reflect for long on the fact that in the last 100 years technology has forever changed the way we interact with each other on social levels. Through the filter of technology we can exist in any number of communities without ever physically participating in a group. This piece is also someone of a counter movement to filtered technology based community. Forcing the participant, should they want to experience the complete song / work, to physically engage with other members of society. Whether they be existing friends / family or strangers.
Participants must also not be afraid of new experiences. This piece not necessarily function as a passive interactive work. When not in use there is no music. If used by one person, they only experience 1 out of 8 music channels. And even if they try each swing, they never hear the complete work. It requires all 8 participants to exert the minimum level of force (participative action) in order to play the music.
The music is representative of the lasted phase of my life’s adventures. In August 2007 I decided that I wanted to become more knowledgeable about my parents heritage. I am a 28 year old Canadian who was living in Toronto in August of last year. I was born to two Italian immigrants who have brought considerably little of their cultural heritage into the home so I found a dance class in Montemarano, Italy, which is close to the hometown of my father.
The Tarantella is one of the most antique folk musical traditions in Italy. In this particular case it is a circular communal dance that is accompanied with a very particular music composed of tambourines, castanets, an orgenetto and a clarinet. During my time in Montemarano I attended a midnight festival, in the mountains, in the forest. Where all of the townspeople, young, old etc. danced together in huge circular formations, or in couple of two or groups of 4,6 or 8. This started my love affair with the popular music traditions of South Italy, and I have since moved to Bologna to dance part-time with an Italian folk band, that has continued to revive this communal music tradition.
The Tarantella’s are usually accompanied with Italian Nacchere, which are somewhat the instrumental equivalent of le'Castanuela' or le Castagnòle'. I imagine the piece at night with people from Spain dancing along with their castanets….we can only dream.
It is dark but a little ways off you see a swing sets. 4 swing sets, more or less, attached in the shape of a huge circle. The kind you’d find in a child’s playground, made of wood, not like the new kind made of plastic.
You look at each other and smile and you take a swing and your boyfriend runs across to the take the swing directly opposite you.
You start swinging and laugh and smile at him, and he starts swinging too.
There is a bit of a breeze, you felt it before but now you really feel it. The air moving through your hair, at both sides of your head. The rushing feeling of blood moving from your head to your stomach. Memories of being young….going to the park with your aunt. Its not long before you start to give it your all. Full force with your legs and leaning way back with your head. And then you hear music. You both do. A tambourine and castanets bellowing out into the night. You slow down but your boyfriend keeps swinging, and even harder.
Now there’s just the drum.
Craziness.
Before long you’ve called over a family of tourists that speak no Spanish and three teenagesrs that were walking through the park. With all of the swings taken, one of the teenagers begins dancing in the middle.
A few minutes pass together. Sometimes you move at the same pace as your boyfriend, while feet coming close in the middle, sometimes you don’t.
After sometime you find yourselves left alone again. Both of you slowdown and get off. There is now a very penetrating silence in the air. You read something close to the swings….you jot the words “Tarantella” and “Montemarano” down in the notebook you always carry in your bag.
I don’t live in Madrid and I have never had an experience like this one….. but I would like to.
With the presentation of this piece I hope to create an ephemeral experience that stays with the viewer in the form of a memory. The piece, for me, functions and when it is not in use, when it is in use by one, many, or 8 or more people.
The idea of PARTICIPATION is one of the fundamental aspects of the work. Participation is an undercurrent of almost all important movements in social change. With the current global crisis of energy consumption and resources I believe we are on the cusp of severe and drastic social involvement to create alternative forms of energy, but more importunately to integrate alternative forms of energy. Ray Kurzweil, the futurist and scientist has for years been speaking about the potential for alternative forms of energy production. What will it take for societies to fully embrace the responsibility of actions resulting in change. Perhaps fun. In my opinion this piece is fun. Allowing the participants to produce just enough energy with their swinging bodies (unlike exercise bikes, which are quite exhausting, very little exertion is required to swing) to produce music.
Community, being a part of society, making connections and keeping connections. I don’t think I need to reflect for long on the fact that in the last 100 years technology has forever changed the way we interact with each other on social levels. Through the filter of technology we can exist in any number of communities without ever physically participating in a group. This piece is also someone of a counter movement to filtered technology based community. Forcing the participant, should they want to experience the complete song / work, to physically engage with other members of society. Whether they be existing friends / family or strangers.
Participants must also not be afraid of new experiences. This piece not necessarily function as a passive interactive work. When not in use there is no music. If used by one person, they only experience 1 out of 8 music channels. And even if they try each swing, they never hear the complete work. It requires all 8 participants to exert the minimum level of force (participative action) in order to play the music.
The music is representative of the lasted phase of my life’s adventures. In August 2007 I decided that I wanted to become more knowledgeable about my parents heritage. I am a 28 year old Canadian who was living in Toronto in August of last year. I was born to two Italian immigrants who have brought considerably little of their cultural heritage into the home so I found a dance class in Montemarano, Italy, which is close to the hometown of my father.
The Tarantella is one of the most antique folk musical traditions in Italy. In this particular case it is a circular communal dance that is accompanied with a very particular music composed of tambourines, castanets, an orgenetto and a clarinet. During my time in Montemarano I attended a midnight festival, in the mountains, in the forest. Where all of the townspeople, young, old etc. danced together in huge circular formations, or in couple of two or groups of 4,6 or 8. This started my love affair with the popular music traditions of South Italy, and I have since moved to Bologna to dance part-time with an Italian folk band, that has continued to revive this communal music tradition.
The Tarantella’s are usually accompanied with Italian Nacchere, which are somewhat the instrumental equivalent of le'Castanuela' or le Castagnòle'. I imagine the piece at night with people from Spain dancing along with their castanets….we can only dream.
Technical Setup of the Installation
Pedal Generator is connected to a power converter to convert swinging energy into enough stored power to generate low wattage outdoor speakers.
Pedal rotary energy converter attached at the top of the swings, which will then be attached to a speaker system. Intended to produce enough energy through swinging to power the speakers.
Requirements:
· 8 x Weatherproof Outdoor Speaker Hides in the Ground and Illuminates Landscape – Smarthome http://www.smarthome.com/8232iig.html
· 4 x Swing Set with 2 Swings M947P from KOMPAN http://products.kompan.com/us/Default.htmlù
·
· 8 x The Pedal-A-Watt Stationary Bike Power Generator http://www.econvergence.net/electroacc.htm
o Easily creates 150 to 200 watts at 12 to 20 volts DC Bicycle easily disengages from stand for immediate road use Stand folds easily for transport Power appliances such as a PC, laptop, radio or lights
· 8 x PowerPak for the Pedal-A-Watt
o A small, portable combination of a 400 watt inverter and a 300 watt-hour battery. The PowerPak plugs into the Pedal-A-Watt and stores the electricity created in a battery. The PowerPak also has a typical household outlet, allowing you to plug appliances in (up to 400 watts) and power them! PLEASE NOTE that this product is available for 120 volts AC, 60 Hz (United States) or 220 volts AC, 50 Hz (for Europe).
Space required for swinging in total = 672 cm
408 cm
swing
2,016 cm total
IF statements
IF you are too scared to try swinging you never experience the piece
IF you are alone you can only experience one instrument
IF you are alone and curious to see if all swings produce a different sound, you will hear all instruments but only one at a time. Never the song as it is meant
IF you want to hear the complete song you must:
a) go with friends or family
b) ask people to swing with you, thus making friends or family
c) wait close by until someone else with enough friends or family tries the work and they play the song for you. At this point I recommend dancing.
IF you have never played an instrument
IF you have never been in a band this is your chance
IF you have never produced clean energy this is your chance
IF you have never had a reason to make new friends or talk to strangers, this is your chance
If you have not gone on swings as an adult, this is your chance
IF you don’t this art is fun, this is your chance to be proven wrong
IF you have never heard:
a) A Tarantella, this is your chance
b) Specifically The Tarantella from Montemarano, Italy, this is your chance
Pedal Generator is connected to a power converter to convert swinging energy into enough stored power to generate low wattage outdoor speakers.
Pedal rotary energy converter attached at the top of the swings, which will then be attached to a speaker system. Intended to produce enough energy through swinging to power the speakers.
Requirements:
· 8 x Weatherproof Outdoor Speaker Hides in the Ground and Illuminates Landscape – Smarthome http://www.smarthome.com/8232iig.html
· 4 x Swing Set with 2 Swings M947P from KOMPAN http://products.kompan.com/us/Default.htmlù
·
· 8 x The Pedal-A-Watt Stationary Bike Power Generator http://www.econvergence.net/electroacc.htm
o Easily creates 150 to 200 watts at 12 to 20 volts DC Bicycle easily disengages from stand for immediate road use Stand folds easily for transport Power appliances such as a PC, laptop, radio or lights
· 8 x PowerPak for the Pedal-A-Watt
o A small, portable combination of a 400 watt inverter and a 300 watt-hour battery. The PowerPak plugs into the Pedal-A-Watt and stores the electricity created in a battery. The PowerPak also has a typical household outlet, allowing you to plug appliances in (up to 400 watts) and power them! PLEASE NOTE that this product is available for 120 volts AC, 60 Hz (United States) or 220 volts AC, 50 Hz (for Europe).
Space required for swinging in total = 672 cm
408 cm
swing
2,016 cm total
IF statements
IF you are too scared to try swinging you never experience the piece
IF you are alone you can only experience one instrument
IF you are alone and curious to see if all swings produce a different sound, you will hear all instruments but only one at a time. Never the song as it is meant
IF you want to hear the complete song you must:
a) go with friends or family
b) ask people to swing with you, thus making friends or family
c) wait close by until someone else with enough friends or family tries the work and they play the song for you. At this point I recommend dancing.
IF you have never played an instrument
IF you have never been in a band this is your chance
IF you have never produced clean energy this is your chance
IF you have never had a reason to make new friends or talk to strangers, this is your chance
If you have not gone on swings as an adult, this is your chance
IF you don’t this art is fun, this is your chance to be proven wrong
IF you have never heard:
a) A Tarantella, this is your chance
b) Specifically The Tarantella from Montemarano, Italy, this is your chance
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