Location: Cherry Circle

Sympathetic Resonance is an interactive multimedia installation measuring 6 feet high, 25 feet wide, and 2 feet deep. The structural foundation consists of five hollow steel columns, each measuring 1′ × 1′ × 5′, containing internal resonant tubes tuned to a stable major pentatonic scale. 

Branching outward and bridging the gaps between these pillars is an intricate network of satellite tubing that introduces a fully developed scale of non-pentatonic, discordant notes. Due to the expansive 25-foot horizontal span, the sculpture physically resists individual control. It deliberately engineers physical interdependence, requiring a coordinated group effort to navigate the space, strike the materials, and activate a fully realized musical piece. 

The installation serves as a lived metaphor for urban solidarity, tolerance, and diversity. True community does not exist in a vacuum of flawless, engineered uniformity; it thrives on the friction, tension, and unexpected juxtapositions of a diverse population. Just as great music relies on dissonance to find its depth, social beauty is found in imperfection, discrepancy, and shared struggle. 

While the five core columns represent our shared infrastructure and common ground, the interconnecting satellite tubes map the complex, challenging dialogues that happen between us. By demanding collective cooperation to play the instrument, solidarity transforms from an abstract academic concept into an active, physical practice. Ultimately, this work treats art as an intuitive, sensory experience—akin to a food experience—where repeated exposure allows the public to taste, absorb, and find harmony within societal tension.