PULSUS

The city is an electrifying fray, a maddening web of cacophony that connects every one of us to every one of others. How can we find solace in a world that doesn’t stop?

PULSUS is an ambient, interactive, and experimental installation, part of a collaborative project between INVIVIA and the GSD’s Responsive Environments and Artifacts Lab (REAL). Molded and folded from concrete, the same material that gives the city her gravity-defying forms, PULSUS collects real-time data from the city and reinterprets this dynamic information into interactive soundscapes. As it hums and mists to every small fluctuation in urban activity, these concrete blankets encourage visitors to relax, cool off, and tune in to the dynamic pulses of the city’s communication frenzy. Domus recently featured the project on its website.

Pulsus Installation

Come sit, press your ear against the concrete conch shell, and listen. You’ll hear the interminable chatter of denizens weaving into a lulling white noise, beckoning us to pause in our hurried steps and rest our eyelids for just a minute—though we know very well that this frenetic urban energy will permeate even our deepest slumber.

Credits

Design and Fabrication
INVIVIA in collaboration with GSD Responsive Environments and Artifacts Lab (REAL) 

Design Team
Allen Sayegh (GSD), Stefano Andreani (GSD), Humbi Song (GSD), Oliver Luo, Jake Welter, Eric Sluyter, Ziyi Zhang (GSD), and Peter Mabardi 

Sponsorship
NYC DOT 

Special Thanks
Mohsen Mostafavi, Patricia Roberts, Dan Borelli, and GSD Exhibitions