Los Angeles

‘Nimbus': Clouds Inside Walt Disney Concert Hall

The weather-whimsical installation includes "computer generated musical atmospheres" and more.

Weather, as a rule, generally stays outdoors, except around Southern California, a place where meteorological phenomena is regularly invited inside, at least in the artistic sense.

Look to "Rain Room" at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, a wetly whimsical installation that recently gave Angelenos the chance to stroll semi-drily through an indoor downpour.

And look to "Nimbus," a just-unveiled installation at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, an artwork that won't rain on those below but will provide them a cloud-beautiful, gently ethereal experience of music and visual wonder.

Artist Yuval Sharon's seemingly lighter-than-air piece, which includes several puffy forms above the hall's stairways and escalators, rose to being in partnership with artist Patrick Shearn and composer Rand Stieger.

Yes, that's the same Patrick Shearn who created "Liquid Shard," the undulating metalic work that rippled over nearby Pershing Square in early August 2016.

Various hues fill the clouds during the days, while music is "spatially distributed over 32 speakers," sounds that "alternate with periods of silence interrupted by brief related sounds triggered by motion sensors."

Mr. Steiger's "commissioned music changes over the course of the day, alternating between computer generated musical atmospheres and compositions built from material recorded by soloists from the LA Philharmonic." 

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That means that one could linger nearby and witness several scintillating turns of sound and sight within an hour or two.

And is "Nimbus" set to be the next great Los Angeles-based Instagram star, as far as iconic artworks go? As evidenced by the striking photographs on the LA Phil page, the sky-inside sight is already generating a lot of social media love.

Long to see live performers enhance the overhead show? Visit the hall during Grand Avenue Arts: All Access on Saturday, Oct. 29 for a performance by singers from The Industry.

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