This exhibit is an interactive experience that uses shadows and movement to activate lights and sounds, inspiring creativity and interaction.
Article Excerpt
Part of the Musical Shadows series, The Pearl Divers is an interactive pavement of light-sensor and audio tiles that can be arranged in multiple configurations.
For centuries, people in Dubai used to dive into the sea looking for pearls, known as the “local gold”. Day and night, shadows trigger traditional bayati and hijaz melodies, to pay a tribute to this local forgotten tradition.
Passersby shadows cast on the interactive pavement trigger melodies that evolve depending on the light. Dawn or dusk, different melodies will be heard. People are free to choose how they want to engage, simply walking through the pavement or dancing with their entire bodies; alone or together.
From the series Musical Shadows, Pearl Divers brings a new sound dimension to the city. Because the project is embedded into the architecture, it stimulates the emergence of new gathering habits, and opportunities for people to move together in public spaces. By inviting them to explore the project with their entire body, inhibitions are lost and performance takes over.
“Pearls are raindrops filled with moonlight that have fallen into the sea and were swallowed by oysters” – Local Saying
Relevance
This exhibit is part of a series of interactive exhibits in large cities. The different exhibits in this series pay homage different aspects of the city from which they are in. The exhibit is integrated into the existing architecture of the area and specifically placed in an area that receives sunlight. As people walk around it and cast shadows over the different sensors, lights light up and play sounds.
This exhibit promotes interaction and aids in starting conversation between different people. It gets people to change their typical routine to add a little bit of play to their day. This small amount of play could make somebodies whole day just a little bit better and help foster new friendships through joined experiences. It allows for creative thinking and expression through a unique interaction method. Being able to inspire creativity, conversations, and interaction is a vital aspect of many public experiences.
Sources
The pearl divers. The Pearl Divers | Daily tous les jours. (2021, February 5). https://www.dailytouslesjours.com/en/work/the-pearl-divers
