Silent Echoes : Finnieston Crane

by Bill Fontana

Gallery of Modern Art - Glasgow - 2013

For this project, Bill osculted and listened to the vibration emitted by the Finnieston Crane under the wind and Bill transformed the city’s icon into a musical instrument.

By attaching accelerometers (the vibration equivalent to microphones) to tap into the deep sounds the crane makes under the wind (which are not audible to the human ear), and marrying these deep sounds to visual of the crane, the installation shown the familiar structure as Glaswegians never have seen or heard it before.

This installation, Silent Echoes : Finnieston Crane was installed at Glasgow’s Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA). Live sounds and images from the crane were transmitted via satellite to a specially created structure located under the portico at the entrance of GOMA, immersing visitors in the sounds of the crane, accompanied by mesmerizing visuals of the crane

One of several projects with Bill, my role was to invite and introduce Bill to Svend Brown of Glasgow Life who commissioned Bill. I also provided technical and practical input into the installation.

The project was the first of Glasgow UNESCO City of Music’s Glasgow Commissions, which celebrated the vibrancy and rich heritage of the city and its culture by inviting international artists to draw inspiration from it.