Allard van Hoorn Transforms Storefront for Art and Architecture Into an Interactive Instrument

Following in <a href="http://www.storefrontnews.org/">Storefront for Art and Architecture's</a> tradition of introducing innovative, edgy concepts to the city, <a href="http://www.allardvanhoorn.com/">Allard van Hoorn's</a> <em>007_Urban_Songline</em> installation transforms the space into an interactive, sonic experience. Using a minimal number of simple materials, the space becomes an instrumental fantasy. Guests maneuver through a plethora of meticulously strung cords producing sounds that are synthesized into a soundtrack of physicality. The exhibition officially opens on January 17 and runs for a month, but Inhabitat had the special opportunity to take a sneak peak as the artist was setting up for the show.

The text, "Play Me," printed on the outside for Storefront invites interaction.

van Hoorn's recent project was inspired by a trip to Australia where he discovered the long-standing tradition of indigenous Songlines, or "Dream Tracks." Created as a system that musically maps the topography of the natural environment, van Hoorn re-appropriates the system to interpret modern, urban landscapes.

The seventh in his series of exhibitions and performances that trace the tradition of the Songlines, 007 marks his first solo New York exhibition and Storefront couldn't be a more appropriate space for his work. van Hoorn carefully considered the playful opportunities available thanks to Vito Acconci and architect Steven Holl's 1993 re-design of structure's facade.

On the inside, deep orange-red walls create the feeling of being inside an instrument case. Furthermore, a series of interlaced fishing lines and surgical tubes are tightly strung from the walls creating a spider-web like maze for visitors to work through.

Visitors strategically maneuver through the interlaced system of strings.

The tension created opens and closes the 12 vertically and horizontally pivoting panels of the facade, blurring the boundary between interior and exterior, private and public, constantly transforming the visual and acoustic landscape of the space.

van Hoorn intentionally selected industrial materials such as fishing line, latex surgical tubes and simple metal hooks to invent his instrument. Serving a highly practical purpose but completely disconnected from their traditional context, he urges viewers to re-imagine the purpose of common materials and perhaps inspire future alternative uses.

The team discusses last minute logistics with van Hoorn as they set up the space.

Visitor's voices, sounds created as cords are struck, and the noise inherent in the street outside are captured by a set of microphones and then digitally synthesized into a soundtrack.

Small microphones are embedded throughout the installation.

Wireless headphones instantly provide a real-time interpretation of physical space and time to visitors as they twist and bend through the space.

A commonly used DJ software program translates the ambient noise into a unique soundtrack.

van Hoorn performs a series of pre-exhibition recordings that he will then compile into seven Urban Songlines which will be performed at the opening on January 17.