PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia’s Center City District unveiled a new art installation in Dilworth Park on Friday that invites visitors to play conductor to the park’s fountains.
Patrick Osei was cutting through Dilworth Park after food shopping and stumbled onto the opening of Water Orchestra. He put down his grocery bags, stepped onto the podium, and unleashed his inner Yannick Nézet-Séguin, moving his arms dramatically as the fountains in front of him climbed and dropped in sync.
“It’s amazing. I’m so happy,” Osei said.
Water Orchestra is the product of two Canadian Companies. Artist Hugo Laliberte said it’s all done with cameras, computers and AI that are invisible from the park.
“There’s a system that recognizes people through Artificial Intelligence, and we translate all of the movements of the hands into signals that the fountain can get and then transfer that to the pump system, and then you get the exciting part of the fountains interacting and moving with your movements,” Laliberte said.
The Center City District commissioned the Water Orchestra. President Prema Gupta says it was inspired by the Disney movie “Fantasia,” where Mickey Mouse plays "The Sorcerer's Apprentice."
“I’m excited that this program makes classical music accessible right in the heart of our city and allows people of all ages and all backgrounds the opportunity not just to enjoy the transformative power of music but to discover their inner maestro and participate in their own way,” Gupta said.
The installation operates daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. through Oct. 3.