Musical chairs is a game we’re all familiar with from children’s parties. But musical light-swings? My God! It’s the stuff of witchcraft! Or the stuff of Canadian designers Daily Tous Les Jours, who have created the fun-time public artwork 21 Balançoires (21 Swings). It’s a collaborative musical instrument that took up residence in Montréal’s Quartier des spectacles.
The piece is made of 21 musical swings, each of which sound a different note or melody when swung. When different people play on the different swings, together they can compose a musical masterpiece—or perhaps some form of noise art, depending on how (un)cooperative they are. It also has an easter egg function in that some of the sounds can only be played when all 21 swings are being played together.
It’s reminiscent of that scene in Big when Tom Hanks and Robert Loggia play the giant piano, except this time there’s no Tom Hanks. Or Robert Loggia. And it’s not in a department store. And it’s not a piano, but swings. And there’s no “Chopsticks.” And there’s much more than two people playing it. But apart from that they’re real similar.