A playground of spinning buckets that creates a musical soundscape as participants spin and twirl is the latest creation from Adelaide based creative studio Pulsing Heart, and will be on show in Rundle Mall until 2 June.
Following rave reviews at WOMADelaide and a season at Festival Plaza, HEXADECA gets set to spin its way into Rundle Mall as a part of ADL Unleashed, a joint initiative by the Government of South Australia, the Adelaide Economic Development Agency (AEDA) and the City of Adelaide, designed to drive visitation and economic activity in the city.
The Right Honourable The Lord Mayor of Adelaide, Sandy Verschoor said the installation would bring beautiful sounds and visuals to the heart of Rundle Mall.
"Council is right behind our music industry and HEXEDECA will support 10 local composers, who can showcase their music to thousands of people as they spin and twirl in the installation, or simply walk past to enjoy the sound," the Lord Mayor said.
Pulsing Heart has secured seasons for HEXADECA with various festivals across Australia over the next six months and internationally from the end of 2022.
HEXADECA provides an inclusive sensory playground of music, art and interactive play for both children and adults.
It comprises sixteen steel hexagons puzzled together to create a structural frame that supports sixteen spinning bucket seats of various sizes, arranged in a cluster.
Each seat is fitted with an individual sensor so as the first participant takes their seat and begins to spin, a corresponding musical arrangement will begin to play and an LED light illuminates the seat.
As each participant takes a seat, the musical score builds. Once all sixteen seats are spinning, the soundscape can be heard in its entirety.
The creative brainchild of Joren Dawson and Jascha Boyce, this interactive work is designed for touring whether it be festivals, parks, museums or galleries, it can be adapted to suit its environment.
Lead artist and Creative Director of Pulsing Hearts Joren Dawson said HEXADECA was designed to capture the joy of a playground and combine that with a soundscape of music.
"Sound is the cornerstone of the work and is the element which brings HEXDECA to life transforming the structure from a playground to a participatory work of art," he said.
"As we tour to different festivals in the future, we’ll have the ability to work with local choruses, orchestras and bands to create recordings wherever HEXADECA is presented."