Installation for a pedestrian bridge

Installation for a pedestrian bridge was made for the Meta.Morf festival in 2012. The metal structure was made into an instrument activated by people walking on the bridge.

Overview of the installation, x and o representing contact mikes and transducers.

The installation was based on rhythm and sound generated by pedestrians passing the Shipyard Bridge (Verftsbrua/Blomsterbrua, Trondheim). 8 contact speakers and 8 contact microphones are mounted to the underside of the bridge walkway. The sound of pedestrians walking on the bridge was picked up by the contact mikes, sometimes used for direct triggering of events and sometimes used for rhythm analysis. Sound was played back through the metal sheets of the walkway of the bridge, enabling the whole structure to sing.

Øyvind Brandtsegg showing transducers and contact mikes under the bridge. Photo: Anne Sliper Midling

Through exploring the rhythmic expression, the installation relates to development and negotiation of meaning in language. Rhythm patterns recorded from the audience walking across the bridge are recorded and used as source material for the development of - and negotiation between rhythmic patterns, where the identity and character of the different time patterns are mixed and woven into each other. An organic system occurs in the use of back links in both the audio signal and the control mechanisms of pattern recognition and synthesis.

The project was supported by the Norwegian Arts Council.

Infopage from the Meta.Morf program

Terje Hallan lent his climbing skills to mounting the magnetic transducers. Photo: Nils Toldnes

Me and my assistant in the project, indispensable Bernt Isak Wærstad. Posing next to the manhole used to access the technical rooms under the bridge.

Jøran Wærdahl at Klipp og Lim made this documentary video of the sound installation. When shooting the video, it was so cold that I could barely speak clearly. Hence the odd english accent ;-)

Tags: soundart, music