Comma, 2005-06

Po Shu Wang

Chinese
Stainless Steel and Bronze

This sculpture blends art with science and encourages passersby to interact with it. The seven-foot stainless steel piece is a spherical resonator. By pushing the knob attached to the sculpture, viewers can hear acoustical waves bouncing from one end to the other. This is created by the bronze bells inside the sphere that are tuned at slightly different pitches, one small interval apart. This musical acoustical phenomenon is known as “comma.”