Salford was in a spin last weekend by a peculiar art display of giant rotating arms and wailing sounds for the Future City festival.
Chorus, is an unusual art display featuring a series of large, spinning sculptures which towered over onlookers in the courtyard outside the Lowry Theatre.
Created by award-winning British artist and composer Ray Lee, it is constructed from a collection of metal tripods supporting rotating arms with speakers attached.
The display was on show as part of Future City festival, a free display of artworks in MediaCityUK which is presented by Quays Culture and Salford University over four weekends.
As members of the public watched with intrigue, the loudspeakers emitted a precisely tuned musical pitch to create a fluid, harmonic hum.
Red lights at the end of the spinning arms also created a graceful firefly effect to accompany the hypnotic choir of sounds.
The combination of harmonious sound with the glow of spinning lights created an enchanting display.
Lee’s work often involves ‘spinning, whirling, and pendulous’ sound creations used to explore ‘electro-magnetic radiation’.
His pieces aim to investigate the way in which sound can highlight the invisible forces, or ‘circles of ether’, that surround human nature.
For passersby, the artwork was ‘captivating’ as many stopped to admire the hypnotic harmony.
“It’s quite mystical,” said Carol, a theatre-goer from Stockport.
“I’m WhatsApping a video of it to my daughter in London to show her that interesting things do happen in Salford.”
Others however, didn’t feel quite as enthralled by the perplexing piece.
“It’s interesting but to be honest I think it sounds like a vuvuzela from the 1900s,” confessed Lee Smith, from Greater Manchester.
“It’s a nice sound and looks quite impressive but I don’t really understand the point of it,” said Ross Mckenna, a Manchester United employee.
SPINNING AROUND: Art display Chorus, designed by award-winning British artist and composer Ray Lee
The festival was meant to bring digital and modern artwork to the Greater Manchester area in order to reflect the city’s historical and technological importance.
“It’s certainly roused a lot of peoples’ curiosity,” said Megan Woodley, a volunteer for Quays Culture.
“It might not be to everyone’s taste but I think everyone can appreciate it for the art that it is.”
Other pieces displayed over the four weeks included Thank You by Craig Morrison, Decorative Newsfeeds by Thomson and Craighead, Vanishing Boundaries by Liz West, and 0°00 Navigation by Simon Faithfull.
