April 2012 is the tenth anniversary of my first trip to record stay-cabled bridges worldwide. I'm celebrating with a brand new work giving a sculptural dimension to this incredible archive of bridge recordings. The Singing Bridge Sculpture is the first in a series of bridge designs, interrelated compositions and visual works that transmit and pay tribute to the wonderful and unexpectedly rich world of bridge sounds. 

An elegant bridge silhouette, the Singing Bridge sculpture features a soundscape composed from bridge recordings, played through custom-built electronics by Andy Holtin. The bridge is produced in plexiglas or metal and the sound of the bridge plays through the object, as 'exciters' or contact speakers turn the bridge into a speaker. Below is the UFO Bridge design for the first prototype to be cut in steel blue, slate grey, gold or silver coloured plexiglas or anodised aluminium and wired for sound. 

Now is your chance to support Singing Bridges, own a design prototype or other cool stuff!

Image: Singing Bridges Design - UFO Bridge

Why make a Singing Bridges Sculpture?

Investing the past ten years in Singing Bridges, I've played and recorded over 60 bridges worldwide. This has created wonderful opportunities to share my passion for these unique voices, working in collaboration with artists, musicians and engineers in each location in ephemeral & site-specific works. I'm truly excited about making this sculpture to transmit the rich and diverse sonic experience, share the magic and celebrate Singing Bridges through a visual and sonic design for bridge, music and art lovers. Your generous support will help create this extraordinary sonic bridge sculpture!

The Story So Far

Singing Bridges is a poetic, philosophical and creative work that helps transform our perception and experience of the world by tuning in to the intangible. Connecting people, places and cultures, bridges are always singing, all we need to do is stop and listen. 

More than the acoustic properties or harmonics in the wires, the sound is also the voice of the bridge, released through the vibration that travels along the cables and reaches out across the globe. Imagine the voice of bridges all over the world singing together in an Acoustic Indra's Net.

Introduction to Singing Bridges on TEDx Kreuzberg

Music from bridges at Pecha Kucha, Maastricht

Singing Bridges on Prezi

Image: Bizovik Bridge soundcheck, Ljubljana Dec 24th 2007 Photo: Luka Prin?i?

More about the design and materials.

The first three Singing Bridge sculpture designs are based on my favourite UFO Bridge (Novy Most), Bratislava; Santiago Calatrava's Alamillo Bridge, Seville: and the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco. 

Dimensions 900mm x 350mm x 5mm, with the original series laser cut in coloured plexiglas.

A touch sensor controls the bridge sound with electronics custom-built by Andy Holtin. 

Later versions will be fabricated in anodised aluminium, and I am approaching a specialist audio company in Sweden to make the bridges sound even more incredible.

Image: Custom-built electronics by Andy Holtin

What are the Perks?

The perks are lots of fun: everyone who contributes will receive a thank you on the website and eternally singing bridges in gratitude + digital thank you postcard + invitation to send me a postcard of your favourite bridge with a story to be part of a future exhibition!

Depending on your chosen contribution: download of digital release specially composed bridge songs; a real postcard sent with a lipstick kiss from wherever I am & signed print of glamour bridge photoshoot; the first small scale 10cm to 15cm cut out of the bridges in plexiglas - these come in different colours depending on which perk you claim, a screen print of the Singing Bridge on alu-dibond; your own aluminium bridge cut-out from the studio of Andy Holtin; or a gorgeous Soviet Printing press graphic bridge poster.

Step up to the plate and enjoy a fabulous 4 course meal at Vin Aqua Vin in Berlin, with the artist & highly esteemed chef Jan Kreuzinger, or take the Golden Bridge that comes with a hug & kiss at the VIP Private View*, a gold plexiglas 15cm bridge sculpture, artist made screen print and eternal singing bridges...

The Diamond Bridge gives you the actual Singing Bridge sculpture prototype - or the Singing Bridge and Bridge of Dreams where I will come to the suitable bridge location nearest you and create a live sonic event!

The Live Sonic Event on a bridge near you will take place during 2012. The graphic bridge poster will be created in the springtime in Tallinn. All other perks will be delivered between 4-6 weeks (postcards, plexiglas bridges, screen print) or 8-12 weeks (composition, private view, prototype) after the campaign ends. A sneak peek at previous sonic bridge events in Paris, Maastricht, Ljubljana, Ghent & Glasgow...

*NB All Invitations to private view in Berlin/BCN/Istanbul/Tallinn - Travel & accommodation not included

How will you use the money? 

This campaign is focused on the sculpture in the context of the 10th Anniversary of Singing Bridges. The money will help towards materials, production and promotion of the Singing Bridges Sculptures. Your generous support covers the production costs, time to produce new bridge designs, compositions and launch events.

In addition to the prototypes; we will make the screen printed image on aluminium-dibond, have 10cm and 15cm bridges cut in plexiglas, continue to design the sculpture series and create new compositions for each bridge, go to Tallinn to learn and create graphic bridges with the Soviet Printing Press.

Once the prototype is made, I will continue working on the design and compositions for the limited edition of seven bridges, make recording trips to create live sonic bridge events with unsung bridges and take the next steps in planning the Global Bridge Symphony. I have ten years experience in creative project management and have successfully realised a diverse range of cultural events with an exceptional network and international team.

Image: Live Sonic Event with Luka Prin?i? & Luka Dekleva, Bizovik Bridge, Ljubljana 2007

Co-Produced by Code-EP, Kapelica Gallery and supported by the Slovene Ministry of Culture.

Who is involved?

I'm Jodi Rose and I've been making music with bridges since going to art school in 1994, where I studied Sculpture, Performance and Installation, moving to Berlin in 2007. I have done many artist residencies, on-site concerts, performances and gallery installations at electronic and media art festivals internationally.

Sculptor and professor Andy Holtin is working with me on designing the electronics and components to make the bridge sculptures sing. See these designs as they unfold, and watch our tests with the prototypes updated during the campaign.

Peter Newman is making the video with me - so you can hear the bridge sing... mrpeternewman (at) gmail (dot) com

Justin Tyler Tate is collaborating on building the Ice Bridge you can sleep under at the Ice Hotel this winter, check out his designs and claim one of the perks to get a print of the photograph of our room.

Ernest Truely has invited me to come and play on the Soviet Printing Press at Polymer Culture Factory in Estonia, where I am looking forward to making the graphic style bridge posters.

Sasha Matteucci has created the most amazing headdress and art deco costume for the launch event and is finding us a location to perform and play in Istanbul and the fabulous Tommy and Crick in Barcelona have offered a superb launch event at Federal. 

Photographer Patrick Jendrusch is all set to take pictures with Sasha's incredible costumes and of the bridge when we have the first one cut by laser guru Martin at lasernlasern in Kreuzberg. The Berlin launch venue to be confirmed, following a private view and exclusive VIP dinner with the artist at Vin Aqua Vin. I'm thrilled to have such an incredible team of wonderful bridge lovers already on board with me!