Pianist and Muse
with Emilia Kabakov
YEAR: 2003
CATALOGUE NUMBER: 167
PROVENANCE
Permanent installation, Jardín Árabe del Jardín de la Vega, Alcobendas, Spain, since 2003 (there referred to as: Rosenthal: Pianista y Musa).
City of Alcobendas, Gestión Cultural y Comunicación Alcobendas.
The concept was first realized as an edition of ceramic sculptures in 2001.
CONCEPT OF THE INSTALLATION
The project proposes the construction of a fountain and sculpture from gray marble* that are united by a single subject—music. The project also includes the construction of a small amphitheater surrounding the fountain on one side with a few rows of stone steps.
The sculpture depicts a pianist bending toward the piano and his muse who appears at the moment of his doubt. That is the name of the sculpture “The Pianist and His Muse.” The material: polished gray marble.
The acoustic aspect of the project is realized via various sounds produced by the fountain located in the lower part of the platform. This diversity of sound emerges from the harmonious balancing of the timed activation of cascades of water from quiet “murmurings” of little trickles to the full activation of a large cascade. Such changes in the flow of the fountain create a mesmerizing display capable of holding one’s attention for a long time, like a unique kind of show, and therefore it is logical, as in a theater, to give the viewer the opportunity to sit down and, amidst the urban hustle-bustle, listen to the “music of water” if only for a little while.
