Pole Dance is a summer-long outdoor social space project comprised of both physical and virtual components that questions the relationship between body and structure. The dynamic, physical installation occupies the P.S.1 courtyard. It is an interconnected system of 30-foot-tall 2-inch glass fiber... Read more
Pole Dance is a summer-long outdoor social space project comprised of both physical and virtual components that questions the relationship between body and structure. The dynamic, physical installation occupies the P.S.1 courtyard. It is an interconnected system of 30-foot-tall 2-inch glass fiber poles set in a 16-foot by 16-foot grid and connected by bungee cords that gently sway in re- sponse to the wind and the interaction of the audience, creating a continuous ripple of movement. The grid contains a number of playful activators, such as hammocks, pulls and mister-rings. An open net covering the entire grid system provides shelter and stabilizes the movement of the poles, preventing them from exceeding a predetermined maximum pivot. Multi-colored balls are sus- pended in the net offering areas of shade and the appearance of a communal, if undefined, game. At one point, the net drops down to the surface, surrounding a water filled pool.
The entire system is assembled of a readymade kit-of-parts. The details allow for the system to be broken down without material degradation. Most components will be repurposed after the installa- tion is closed. The physical structure was designed and constructed with critical input from Buro Happold NY and Sciame Construction
“In Pole Dance, our project for MoMA’s Young Architecture Program, we continue our exploration of architecture’s potential to create sensorially charged environments rather than finite forms. We consider the choreography of situations rather than object making which is essential in the case of a temporary structure which needs to perform two seemingly contradictory tasks: calm- ing and carousing. We imagine a participatory environment that reframes the conceptual relation between humankind and structure, an interconnected system constantly affected by human action and environmental factors, such as rain and wind. Confronted with its unfamiliar elasticity, visitors instinctively engage with the structure: testing its limits, composing games, or just watching its gentle dance.” SO-IL
SO-IL, Arup, and 2×4 have collaborated to design and integrate an interactive media environ- ment as part of Pole Dance. Eight of the fiberglass poles incorporate accelerometers – devices that measure the motion of the poles – and convert it to sound played back in the courtyard. In the installation’s passive state, sound is generated by wind moving the poles or netting. As the audi- ence interacts with elements of the structure – by pushing, pulling or shaking the poles or moving the beach balls or the net, modulated tones are generated. The tones have been specifically com- posed to blend with the sonic environment and to bring harmony to the soundscape in and around the museum. The installation is truly interactive with up to 8 participants able to simultaneously “play” the poles. In this way the installation becomes a multi-user instrument that can be shared by ensembles of visitors of all ages. Rapid and shallow movements create locally oscillating tones; movements made by leaning on the poles create a sound that ripples out into the rest of the gar- den as the network of connected poles are set in motion.
An interactive iPhone app (www.ps1poledance.org*) allows visitors to affect the quality of sound for each pole in real time. By turning the effects levels up or down the audience can col- laboratively vote to change the active sound of their environment. The application also collects the movements of the interactive poles and visualizes the dynamic activity and movement within the installation in real time. The VIP opening on June 24th will include a collaborative dance perfor- mance with a live interactive audio mix by Terence Caulkins of Arup.
