Gentle Exercises in Cooperation Through Interactive Public Art

Presented for the first time together, Daily tous les jours’ Musical Swings and Daydreamer benches bring their therapeutic qualities to the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) by integrating collaborative musical creation and soothing collective motions.

Living works of art at the park

The NCMA is renowned for its galleries featuring filtered natural light, landscaped sculpture gardens, and reflecting pools. Its 164-acre park enhances the seamless integration of art and nature. The sculpture park is now comprised of two new additions by Daily tous les jours, aiming to foster communal experiences that deepen connections to nature and among park dwellers.

Musical Swings

Imagined as a collective experience, the Musical Swings invite people of all ages and backgrounds to make music together. It’s an intuitive game, where people revel at the magic of making music with their entire bodies, while cooperation between participants unlocks secret melodies.

The artwork is a studio staple project that has toured the world and won international recognition. A set of ten swings is now permanently installed at NCMA’s park, featuring a classical ensemble comprising piano, guitar, vibraphone, and harp.

Daydreamer

The studio’s new sculptural series of interactive, slowly rocking benches, Daydreamer, composes gentle music while stimulating synced up choreographies. When people sit and push the benches to rock or spin, music and light animations are triggered through motion detection, merging analog and digital movements. Each bench features recordings of human voices, with soprano, alto, and tenor registers. The ensemble weaves an evolutive tapestry of tension, release, motion, and stillness.

Therapeutic qualities

Both artworks play with soothing motions that reduce stress and anxiety. The harmonious interplay between the classical ensemble of Musical Swings and the human voice recordings of Daydreamer creates an ever-evolving calming soundscape. Played by the public as they swing, rock, or spin, harmonies respond to the height of swings, the direction of bench movements, and the rhythms of concerted actions.

Moreover, when participants play in synchronicity, more complex harmonies are produced, fostering awareness and collaboration among players. According to various studies, synchronous movements strengthen social attachment and empathy within a group, extending well beyond the moment of coming together.

At night, integrated lights in the interactive pieces elevate the performance to mesmerizing visual heights.