Caruso's Dream Suspends Glowing Pianos Over Ninth Street

Caruso's Dream Suspends Glowing Pianos Over Ninth Street

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Walking down Ninth Street now feels like you've entered a surrealist dream with the recent addition of thirteen glowing, glass and steel pianos suspended high above the sidewalk.


The result of a collaboration between artist Dorka Keehn and sculptor Brian Goggin, the permanent installation – attached to the side of an apartment building between Market and Mission – is a striking visual and auditory experience. Known as Caruso's Dream (for short), at night the pianos alight in a sequence that corresponds with a recording of the legendary Italian singer Enrico Caruso's voice. Local musician and technologist Gabriel Rey-Goodlatte was enlisted to bring the tenor's voice to life.

The installation was inspired by the moment Caruso awoke in the Palace Hotel during the 1906 earthquake. He didn't know if he was awake or still dreaming as he looked down upon the disaster.

The Creator's Project recently went behind the scenes with the artists to understand the complete history behind the project and the technology that brought it all to life. Check out the video, and read our Q&A with artist Dorka Keehn here.

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