Sculpting the Tour Eiffel in Sound by China Blue :: September 28, 2007 :: Tour Eiffel, Paris, France.

The Tour Eiffel is a visual icon of architecture, art and European culture. But, since it has been built no one has considered its unique acoustic structure. On Friday, September 28, 2007 the international sound based artist, China Blue will capture Gustave Eiffel's unique steel design in sound. Her acoustic recordings will document the sound and vibrations of the Tour Eiffel's 2,500,000 rivets and 18,038 pieces of steel weighing a total of 7300 tons. She will also register the sonic environment of the approximately 30,000 people who visit it daily as they move from the ground to the pinnacle as well as the machine room's enormous gears and motors that carry the visitors up and down the tower. From the rez-de-chausser to the crown, she will sample the actual vibrations of Mr. Eiffel's monumental design, one of the 'seven wonders of the world,' highlighting the unique but ignored beauty of this iconic structure.

The recordings are the first stage of a major art project. They will be used to make a sonic reconstruction of the Tour Eiffel enabling visitors of the installation to be able to hear the acoustical separations of the steel vibrating and the visitors' presence at the various levels.

China Blue is an internationally exhibiting New York City artist who is interested in the intersection of sound and architecture. She is occupied with the human experience of sound in relationship to a locale and the concept that space is filled by and shaped by those who live in it and use.

China Blue's work integrates sound and installation to create acoustically driven installation environments. Sound is a sculptural material that is either located in an area as small as the palm of ones' hand poised for hearing or energy that totally fills a stadium. The application of sound with installation has been her focus for over 13 years. During this time her work has been shown, galleries and non-profit spaces in Finland, Sweden, France, Australia and the US. Her has been reviewed in the New York Times, Art in America, Art Forum, NY Arts and Radio Campus, Dijon, France to name a few. She was interviewed by France 3 (TV), artCritical, in the film 'Com-mu-nity' for the Architecture Institute of America and was the featured artist for the 2006 annual meeting of the Acoustic Society of America.

For more information on her work go to www.chinablueart.com or contact China Blue at chinablueart[at]gmail.com