Bill Fontana: Sonic Shadows March 20, 2011

Commissioned for SFMOMA's 75th anniversary, a site-specific installation by San Francisco-based sound art pioneer Bill Fontana explores both visible and invisible architectural features of the museum. 'Sonic Shadows' transforms the dramatic circular skylight and fifth-floor steel truss pedestrian bridge into musical instruments, acoustically translating the physical space. The artist's first truly kinetic sound sculpture utilizes moving hypersonic speakers and vibration sensors that respond to visitors' footsteps, integrating ambient sounds recorded in real time from inside and outdoors. Reflecting off the turret walls, narrowly focused ultrasound beams from the speakers are audible on the bridge and encircling staircases. While Fontana's past collaborations with SFMOMA relocated environmental sounds from the regional landscape, this new work creates a live composition generated by the building itself.