Céleste Boursier-Mougenot's Meditative Composition

Three pools—each holding approximately 800 porcelain vessels and more than 10,000 gallons of water—glow aquamarine under one monumental light source. Through the water’s movement, powered by carefully tuned motors, a meditative symphony of contact-clinks fills the expanse of the Park Avenue Armory. This is clinamen (v.11), the latest multisensory installation from French artist Céleste Boursier-Mougenot, on view now through August 2.

Boursier-Mougenot developed his first clinamen—a dispositif, or orchestrated environment that expands the concept of musical score—nearly 30 years ago. Prior to this version, arguably the most honed (thanks to its uniquely controlled environment), the artist introduced iterations within the rotunda of Bourse de Commerce, in Australia’s National Gallery Victoria, Tokyo’s Museum of Contemporary Art, and myriad other prestigious institutions.

Boursier-Mougenot says the raised wooden structure upon which the pools sit, in conjunction with the lighting design and the differing sonic experiences in each corner, is all to encourage visitors to stick around. “People say they’ve seen shows even if they only stayed for two minutes. I want to keep them for a while. I want them to sit down and reflect.”

Ultimately, the greatest success comes from the contrast with the venue itself—its scale and the enveloping darkness. “I have erased all of the noise,” the artist concludes. “All that’s left is the illusion of black velvet.”