PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Working with Torkwase Dyson on Akua—her first major sound-based installation in New York City—alongside Public Art Fund was a profound and meaningful experience.

This open-air pavilion reimagines the connections between ecology, infrastructure, and architecture through fluid, hyperbolic structural forms that respond to movement, sound, and spatial thresholds.

Set against the magnificent backdrop of the Brooklyn Bridge, Akua invites visitors to pause, reflect, and experience sound in deeply physical and emotional ways. Incorporating multi-channel sound, the sculptural pavilion transforms its environment into an immersive, meditative encounter where the boundaries between perception and navigation blur. This artwork explores what can emerge from the liminal space between language and silence, structure and flow.

Dyson views sound as a physical vibration that connects us to place and memory. Named after a family member, Akua—meaning “born on Wednesday” in Akan tradition—embodies this concept. Whether walking through or pausing beside it, Akua becomes part of your journey through space and sound.

Measuring 20 feet high, 30 feet wide, and 37 feet long, the pavilion features two symmetrical convex hyperbolic forms composed of vertical aluminum slats that lean into one another, anchored by a custom-fabricated steel core – all powdercoated matte black.

Weighing a total of 13,500 pounds—8,000 pounds of aluminum slats and 5,500 pounds of structural steel—the pavilion is assembled using hundreds of discreet, precisely engineered, digitally fabricated brackets. Eventscape brought this intricate vision to life through computational design workflows, custom scripting, cutting-edge digital fabrication, and expert craftsmanship. The result is a visually striking and technically refined work of public art.

The installation is free and open to the public through March 8, 2026.

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