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Cycling Creates Art in Arlington

Published on April 12, 2018

What happens when you combine a stationary bike with record players? You get Bipedal Soundscapes, an art installment to be heard throughout Arlington.

The new Arlington Art Truck launched its debut season in early April with Bipedal Soundscapes, by artists Emily Francisco and Alex Braden. Activated by participants pedaling a stationary bicycle, the sound sculpture features a five-tiered turntable housing vinyl records to create a unique audio experience.

https://youtu.be/jOtg0nl3W98

From April to October, the Art Truck will engage Arlingtonians in projects ranging from an impromptu workshop or performance to a pop-up gallery. Locations will include after-school programs, festivals, farmers' markets, schools, and other gathering spots. At these stops, the community will be able to ride the stationary bicycle and create a sound sculpture of their own, controlling the speed of the turntables as they pedal, allowing each rider a chance to dictate how the piece is experienced.

The Arlington Art Truck embodies Cultural Affairs' mission to revolutionize the traditional model of an arts venue: a curated, mobile toolbox for artists-in-residence, packed with digital and traditional creative tools. The Art Truck is funded by a $25,000 award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Immediately recognizable, the Ford Transit Van was hand-painted by internationally known artist and Fulbright scholar, Stephen Powers.

Schedule: BIPEDAL SOUNDSCAPES, by Emily Francisco and Alex Braden

April 21 — Arlington Palooza — Alcova Heights Park — 1-4 p.m.

April 26 — Phoenix Bikes Maker's Ball — Crystal City — 6:30-9 p.m.

May 5 — Arlington Mill Farmer's Market (Columbia Pike and Dinwiddie Street) — 8-12 p.m.

May 12 — 15th and Courthouse Road — 9-1 p.m. (a Courthouse 2.0 project)

May 23 — Clarendon Plaza (Clarendon Metro) — 3-7:30 p.m.

June 2 — MAKE Your MARK! (Maker's Fair) — 3700 South Four Mile Run Dr. — 1-4 p.m.

(Schedule subject to change due to weather or other conditions. Be sure to check Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram for updates.)

Other Art Truck activations for 2018 feature You Are Magic, by Alicia Eggert, Color Your Future Garden, by Marcella Kriebel, and Going Native: Flora and Fauna of Arlington, Virginia by Kate Samworth.