Seesaw Art Installation to Turn Dallas Parks Into Playgrounds

IMPULSE's light-up seesaw installation is slated to turn the Dallas Arts District and downtown into an 'artistic, urban playground.'

“Don’t touch the art!”

You’ve surely seen this inscribed on a placard at a fancy art museum. And while, no, you shouldn’t touch valuable pieces of history, we know the temptation is real.

Luckily, a hands-on art exhibit is coming to two Dallas parks starting April 12, enabling the tempted to touch (or, in this case, ride) the art to their hearts content.

IMPULSE, an installation featuring 12 LED seesaws with light and sound activated by the public, is slated to bring what IMPULSE calls “an ever-changing composition of dynamic light and sound wave pulses” to Sammons Park and Main Street Garden Park.

The light and sound emitted from the seesaws will get brighter and louder as people climb on, CultureMap reports. When left alone, the seesaws will revert back to a horizontal position, emitting a band of low light.

Lily Weiss, executive director of Dallas Arts District, told Dallas Innovates via email that the installation piggybacks on evolving technology to bring joy to Dallas.

The beauty of the art installation, IMPULSE, is its ability to turn Downtown Dallas into an artistic, urban playground, creating access for all,” Weiss says. “The seesaws are transformed by utilizing technology to make it relevant in the digital age.”

Weiss says the project reflects what sculptor Janet Echelman believes: “I believe that public space should be intentional: it should be obvious that you belong,” Weiss says, quoting Echelman.

It is our belief that art continues to explore the possibilities of discovery through technology creating an interesting palette for audiences to experience. I would venture to say Dallas will continue to be a leader in innovative ways to display and interact with art,” Weiss wrote.

The installation will kick off with a Changing Perspectives Block Party in the Dallas Arts District on April 12. From 6 p.m. to midnight, CultureMap reports. Families are invited to join the celebration featuring Dark Circles Contemporary Dance, food trucks, local beer, games, pop-ups, and performances from artists.

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