ART WITHIN SURFACES
© Alter Projects
Sonic Bloom: Communicating Through Colourful Horns Yuri Suzuki’s colourful art installation at the centre of London allows visitors to listen to city sounds and communicate with each other in-person again, thanks to the antibacterial paintings used to coat the entire sculpture.
B
ringing people together through sound and facilitating their
any landscape. I have created sculptures in public realms before and
communication is the main goal of Sonic Bloom, the colourful
primary colours do not conflict with landscapes and environments.”
interactive, community-focused, multi-sensory art installation
The layout of the artwork was designed to be inclusive, so it features
created by the sound artist and designer Yuri Suzuki.
seats and horns in various positions, in order to make it possible
Located at Brown Hart Gardens in London’s Mayfair area, near the
for people with disabilities and elders to experience the sculpture. “I
Oxford shopping district, Sonic Bloom is open to the public from 23rd
personally think just a statue standing in public realms does not give
August 2021 and will be possible to visit it for a year. The artwork
enough function to the community. If people actively use it, then public
features a cluster of colourful horn-shaped speaking tubes through
art has a meaning,” explained Suzuki.
which people can communicate. Moreover, the ones at the top of
The art installation includes also digital elements for people that are
the sculpture capture the city’s sounds and amplify them. To ensure
unable to travel to the British capital: the voices of the users have been
the safety of the people and allow them to gather and experience
recorded and edited into flower animations that are freely accessible on
community life without risks, the entire sculpture has been painted
the neighbourhood’s website. This aspect further expands the important
using antibacterial coatings and is cleaned daily.
concept of accessibility and inclusiveness, especially during a period
The name of the installation derives from its form, a network of red,
national lockdowns and travel restrictions.
yellow and blue trumpets resembling a blooming flower. The choice
Sonic Bloom has been developed to be dismantled and then
of the painted colours has been dictated by the artist’s favourite
reassembled easily in other locations, avoiding waste.
colour palettes. “I chose primary colours because I am dyslexic and they help with reading. With these clear divisions, people can easily
For further information:
identify the passage of sound. Primary colours also will fit very well into
www.yurisuzuki.com and www.alter-projects.com
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N. 72 - NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 - international PAINT&COATING magazine
