Search 
TBA: Omni Rail
Omni Rail is an ambisonic, walk-through instrument, designed from the stairwells, railings and cable system that supports the architecture of Portland’s historic 511 Building. From within PNCA’s Atrium and Mezzanine, the instrument is its own speaker system, both metaphorically and physically. Omni Rail will be activated by an ensemble in collaboration with choreographer Muffie Delgado Connelly, and with project support and mentorship from Zachary D’Agostino.
The music composition is an arrangement of notes already contained within the building’s architecture. The sounds are carried throughout the open room and balcony floors of PNCA as the instrument amplifies itself. Musicians strike, bow, or slide the instrument, engaging with movement artists as they traverse the site in a conversation with proximity, intimacy, and the unseen, blurring the boundaries between perceivable roles as musician and bodily instrumentation, emergence, catalyst, and reaction.
Following this performance, the interactive exhibition will remain on view until September 14, 2025.
Access notes: Omni Rail reaches high volume levels. Earplugs are available at the front desk. The performance occurs on three different floors in an open room. The second floor Mezzanine is only reachable by stairs or a private elevator, which can be accessed by requesting assistance at the front desk. The third floor is accessible by stairs or a public elevator.