About the Art
Percussion Celebration, designed by husband-and-wife Bill and Mary Buchen, consists of ten musical instruments, including West African djembes, Afro-Cuban talking drums, East Asian sun gongs and a large earth drum.
Percussion Celebration is an example of the Buchens’ “Sonic Architecture,” made to be physically engaged with by its audience and challenging the idea that art is something only to be viewed. Visitors are encouraged to play the drums and gongs, to experiment with the different sounds, and to experience the artwork with their whole body. In this sense, Percussion Celebration serves as a playful mirror of the nearby Recreation and Physical Activity Center, where people exercise and play while coming together as a campus community.
While the instruments come from disparate cultures on different continents, they are united through their medium of sleek stainless steel and seem to belong together. Because the instruments are easy to use and are outdoors and free to access, anyone can join in, even without musical experience or prior appointment. In an era where music and art are increasingly viewed as specialized skills, Percussion Celebration reminds us that both are an essential part of what it means to be human.
Collection of The Ohio State University. Funded through the Ohio Percent for Art program.
Material
Stainless Steel
Location
Outside of the Recreation and Physical Activity Center (RPAC)
About the Artist
New York City-based Bill and Mary Buchen are a husband-and-wife team who began designing interactive installations, often with sound, for public and private sites in 1982. They’ve created sound parks and sonic playgrounds, as well as other large-scale public installations. They are interested in the interplay of the environment around us with science, architecture, ecology and cultures from around the world. Mary is also a master gardener, and Bill is a professional percussionist and composer. This musical inspiration is seen in works like Percussion Celebration.
