Cymatic Pool
2013

Cymatic Pool is an interactive sculptural installation at the Ericsson headquarters in Stockholm that visitors can communicate with through their mobile phones. Cymatics is the study of how sound vibrations create visible patterns and shapes in materials such as fluids and sand.

Cymatic Pool has a dedicated phone number; when visitors dial that number, they hear a tone followed by instructions for using the volume and pitch of their voices to make the basin vibrate and shake. The surface is transformed into a shifting pattern, from gentle ripples to violent bubbling. Sounds are converted into physical form, and a new linguistic interface is created. The sculpture is framed by a polished stainless-steel edge with a sweeping, wavelike shape that recalls the movement of water; the reflective metal echoes water’s appearance, making it a part of the living surface of the pool.

 

"Cymatic Pool," 2013
+46735490369
Stainless steel, vibrators, AC drive,
computer, water, 420 x 40 x 420 cm
Video documentation
Illustration by Johan Mets
Photo: Måns Berg
"Cymatic Pool," close-up. Photo: Måns Berg

WORK IN PROGRESS

Photos: Studio Bigert & Bergström