The Bellflower Project
The Bellflower Project will showcase the potential of sustainable energy sources. By engaging the public in a creative, non-institutional way, we are hoping to show (not tell) the NYU and larger community the benefits of energy harvesting. The Bellflower project is a series of small, public kinetic sculptures that run on solar power. Each “bellflower” biomimetically recreates an opening flower – five petals will slowly open as they collect solar energy, revealing a spiral of musical bars (like large xylophone bars). As the sculpture gathers energy, the bars begin to play, creating unique melodies and chords that vary depending on weather conditions and time of day. Ideally, the project would be embedded in an urban agriculture garden, promoting biodiversity while demonstrating the power of sustainable energy harvesting. Our goal is to aesthetically improve the quotidian life of the community, as well as potentially educating the public about environmentally responsible power consumption.