A mysterious, sound-emitting structure has been erected on the Tisch Library roof. And University President Lawrence Bacow is a fan.
During the official unveiling ceremony of the "Harmony in the Age of Noise" art piece, Bacow commended the project. "Art should challenge us and make us ask questions," he said. "I think we're going to see ... that taking place here."
The reception began with an introduction by Department of Anthropology Chair David Guss, who directed the large, domed piece's construction. He likened the installation's unveiling to crossing the finish line at the end of a long marathon.
Guss was inspired to show how sound creates communities, particularly on college campuses. The sound-art installation uses sounds from different locations around campus to explore "what environments do to us in creation of community, what this place sounds like and what one hears in an incredibly multi-vocal way," Guss said.
The sonic artwork is interactive. Inside the dome is a sound dial that allows visitors to navigate through sounds from a live feed above Curtis Hall and sound maps uploaded to an online database by students and faculty.
"Everybody who touches it experiences it in a different way and creates their own personal narrative," Guss said. "As you turn the dial, you control the sounds it will actually play - no one will turn it the same way."
The project was highly collaborative, involving students and facility members, artists and engineers. "Doing something so interdisciplinary ... is difficult to achieve," Guss said. "It takes place out of the classroom and out of the box."
Bruce Odland, the composer of some of the installation's sound elements, spoke after Bacow at yesterday's ceremony. "We didn't know exactly what we were making, but here it is," he said.
Odland praised the project for bringing students and professors together to work as equals toward a common goal. "This project is about opening our ears again," he said.
Mark McNamara, the sculptor of the gazebo that houses the piece, also lauded the project's collaborative nature, saying it was a "real reflection of what can get done when a community gets together."
Rob Hollister, dean of the Tisch College, said it is important to think about the artwork's significance to future endeavors at Tufts. "What does it mean in terms of the next stage of community building and interdisciplinary ties?" he asked.
The ceremony concluded with a medley of bell chimes and other sounds to commemorate the unveiling. Odland and Guss invited all students to experience the sound dial, which will be on the library roof until Aug. 10.
