Emanativ (2023) public commission by NYC PDC and NYC Parks Department
Emanativ is a sound sculpture that is powered by changing water levels in the Harlem River. Emanativ uses interactive sculpture and biophilic design principles to offer a unique urban soundscape that transforms the park into a cultural destination. The sculpture is an acoustical, architectural, and hydraulic structure. It is essentially is an instrument that generates music driven by the motion of the water in the Harlem River. The sound is released through special openings in the sculpture’s four towers into the surrounding area where it can be heard and enjoyed by anyone in the immediate vicinity. In the musical sense, Emanativ will be tuned to a Dominant 7th Chord. Comprised of 4 notes, this chord was born out of the harmonic vocabulary that jazz musicians used to develop Bebop. Since then, it has been used widely throughout Jazz music to give sound movement and tension. Emanativ exploits these tonal qualities to reflect the location in which it is situated. Harlem having a rich history in Jazz, Latin Jazz, Funk, Gospel, Hip-Hop, and House Music; and the Harlem River – a turbulent estuary.
