Gabriel Calatrava
During the 92Y Seeing Music festival in New York which is considered to be a festival at the intersection of sound and sight, a live performance of J.S. Bach’s The Art of the Fugue performed by the Brentano String Quartet’s was presented with a rope moving installation created by architect and engineer Gabriel Calatrava, son of Santiago Calatrava.
The younger Calatrava’s installation presented the stage covered by a flexible rotating light ropes moving with the help of rotating wheels having been attached with it the flexible ropes. The architect took the idea of the installation in a rotating ropes style from Bach’s fugal lines, the strings on musical instruments. One of the features of the installation was a series of configuration created by the crossing, stretching, and compressing of strings.
The set design was activated by dancers pulling, gathering and climbing on the ropes thus creating new perceptions of the music being played on the stage. The dancing performance was created by the choreographer John-Mario Sevilla.
By Armine Sargsyan
Ibrahim Abdelhady is an architect, academic, and media entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in architecture and digital publishing. He is the Founder and CEO of Arch2O.com, a leading platform in architectural media, renowned for showcasing innovative projects, student work, and critical discourse in design. Holding dual PhDs in Architecture, Dr. Abdelhady combines academic rigor with industry insight, shaping both future architects and architectural thought. He actively teaches, conducts research, and contributes to the global architecture community through his writing, lectures, and media ventures. His work bridges the gap between practice and academia, pushing the boundaries of how architecture is communicated in the digital age.