Chicago Is Getting Musical, Light-Up Seesaws

Shaunacy Ferro
AV Dezign via Flickr // CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
AV Dezign via Flickr // CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 /

AV Dezign via Flickr // CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

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Chicago’s Navy Pier is getting some sparkle this winter. Until May, the pier will play host to a musical, light-up seesaw installation that changes as you play, according to Chicagoist.

The art installation, called "Impulse," will arrive in Chicago on March 10. The 15 seesaws designed by Lateral Office contain motion-activated LEDs that change depending on their incline. They’re arranged linearly, in a staggered configuration originally inspired by the iconic cover art for Joy Division’s album Unknown Pleasures.

The designers behind the project envision "Impulse" turning its urban locations into “spaces of collective delight,” according to the project brief. Each of the seesaws has a unique set of tones created by sound artist Mitchell Akiyama. When the seesaws move up and down, they emit different sounds based on the speed and rhythm of the motion. When multiple seesaws are in use at the same time, those tones become a one-of-a-kind song.

"Impulse" first debuted in Montreal last winter as part of the Lumiothérapie festival. The exhibition is currently on a world tour, remaining in Chicago until May 21. It will also be at Harvard University in April.

[h/t Chicagoist]

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