fulcra

fulcra (2022) is an instrumental system for humans, seesaw, and wire-suspended chimes. Two people are required to coordinate, managing their bodily positions, wire tension, and speed in order to maintain the life of the system. Conceived as a network, the oscillating movements can be understood as a constant exchange of energy between nodes. Moments of balance in the system are brief, as even small movements can create chains of imbalances setting the system in motion again. The sustaining electronic tones emitted from the speakers contrast those of the chimes, which erratically swell and can appear to bend microtonally (often audible as soft acoustic beating) resulting from Doppler shifts as they slide along the wire towards or away from the speakers. The partially randomized electronic part also serves as a guide for the performers, who coordinate certain movements according to the changes in the electronics.