Delight in the sights and sounds of ‘Momentum’ at the PGH Botanic Garden, now through December

Imagine yourself sitting in front of a pond surrounded by looming trees and small hills. As you watch fluid color flow through the wind, a sound reminiscent of falling leaves travels through the air. If that scene interests you, stop by the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden in Oakdale to experience “Momentum” by Patrick Shearn of Poetic Kinetics.

Open until the end of the year (it will be included in the “Dazzling Nights” holiday experience), “Momentum” is an incredible representation of the Garden’s mission to celebrate the beauty of nature through art and interaction. Here are details about the three incredible installations that kids and adults will enjoy exploring:

What inspired ‘Momentum’ and how did it get here? 

While attending the annual American Public Gardens Association meeting in Boston last year, a group of the Garden’s directors saw a piece created by Poetic Kinetics. They fell in love with it and arranged to bring “Momentum” to the Garden with the Creative Director of Poetic Kinetics, Patrick Shearn.

Shearn’s career started in the film industry and later expanded into large scale public art with the goal of creating experiences that “inspire wonder and introspection, captivating viewers on both visual and emotional levels,” according to the Poetic Kinetics website. 

The first installation: ‘The Stream’

Before entering the Garden, you’re greeted at the Welcome Center by an installation called “The Stream.” From the ceiling hang various colors of sailcloth in a stream formation. “The Stream” serves as just a small teaser for the other two installations in the Garden. 

Next up: ‘Vivid Echo’

In the Garden of Five Senses, “Vivid Echo” lives up to the name of its location. The piece consists of about 2,000 pieces of sailcloth hand-tied onto 350 square feet of netted canopy. It hangs about four feet off the ground.  “Vivid Echo” encourages and welcomes visitors to engage through sight, sound, and touch.

“It’s fun to walk through, especially for adults — kind of just be immersed in there,” says Keith Kaiser, executive director of Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. “Kids think it’s fun — they go lie on the ground.” 

But the streamers aren’t just pretty. On many of the streamers, messages from people of all ages can be found. “My idea was to try to have people write in six words in response to the question ‘Describe the role that plants have in your life,’” says Education & Exhibits Director Mark Miller. “It makes the experience richer for people. I mean, it’s great to walk through and look up and see the colors and the movement and all that, but I think the messages make it.. special”. 

Miller adds that people of all ages were invited to write messages on the streamers, including teenage students from SLB radio who gladly participated. 

The final installation: ‘Elevated Reflection’ 

“Elevated Reflection” is located above the Lotus Pond and is the largest installation, consisting of almost 9,000 sailcloths reflecting into the pond and 1,450 square feet of netted canopy. While it looks like four individual pieces floating in the air, the installation is one piece that is capable of displacing up to 38 feet in response to wind and environment. 

On particularly windy days, the piece transforms. The sailcloth pieces fly through the air creating fiery explosions of color accompanied by the sounds of the sailcloth pieces rustling against each other. The sounds are reminiscent of animals you might find rustling through bushes in a meadow. This interaction between the art and its environment achieves the Garden and Shearn’s goal of expressing humans’ relationship with our environment and how our lives are shaped by it. 

“I think it’s beautiful,” one guest sitting on the grass in front of the pond told me. “It puts me in tune with nature. I love the colors, and then listening to the strips board blow in the wind. It creates the rustling of leaves in the trees. Depending on how the wind blows, the exhibit changes.”

Another guest added, “It’s just lovely. I love the colors over the pond and the reflection of it.” 

While some have raised concerns over the environmental impact that “Momentum” and other Poetic Kinetics exhibits may have, each piece is thoughtfully curated to be as environmentally friendly as possible. While “Momentum” may look extremely voluminous, don’t let it fool you. All 11,573 square feet of sailcloth can be fit into one household recycling bin and will be reused in future projects. 

As for worries about bird safety, Poetic Kinetics shared that they have never had a negative incident with birds and work with relevant ecology professionals to insure the safety of our avian friends. 

“Momentum” is a breathtaking experience that caters to a variety of different forms of relaxation and reflection. Whether that’s running through “Vivid Echo” to burn some energy or having a peaceful reflection while observing “Elevated Reflection” flowing in the wind, visiting “Momentum” will undoubtedly impress the littlest littles and the biggest bigs.

To learn more about “Momentum,” click here. Admission is included with a regular ticket to the Garden. You can explore Momentum along with the rest of the Garden from 9 a.m.  to 5 p.m. every day except on Mondays. If you plan to visit the Gardens, make sure to wear comfortable clothes and shoes, wear sun protection (sunscreen, sunglasses, sunhats, etc), and bring hydration.

All photos by Joya Nasr.