Creaky floors, squeaky pipes, shuddering window panes– there’s no question that old buildings talk to us, and David Byrne’s new installation at Aria at the Jeune Leune, suggests that they sing to us too. Called “Playing the Building,” Byrne’s installation runs through December 4th, and has essentially transformed the historic building into an enormous musical instrument.
The installation, which was first realized at Färgfabriken in Stockholm, connects an old-fashioned organ to pipes, crossbeams, columns, and other components of a building, making it possible to press a key on the organ, and cause whistling, vibrations, clanging, and pinging throughout the space.
Aria has designated “Play Dates” during the installation, in which they’ve invited local musicians to come jam with the building. We stopped by for a recent Play Date featuring the band Brute Heart, as well as members of the public who dropped by to add to the cacophony.
Hear it below.
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