Pass the baton: Museum puts visitors in the conductor’s seat

Leipzig, Germany – Visitors to the Mendelssohn Haus Museum in Leipzig can conduct a philharmonic orchestra made of virtual musicians.

The interactive installation, Effektorium, uses Leap Motion technology to link a touchscreen and a digital baton to 13 responsive speakers playing Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture. Visitors can control the tempo of the piece by the speed at which they wave the baton. By playing with the touchscreen, they can alter the tone and the instruments of the orchestra. For that extra personal touch, they can even adjust the colour of the lights in the room.

The Mendelssohn Haus Museum has embraced the playful immediacy of Generation I. For another playful installation that puts visitors in the conductor’s seat, see our Innovate on Studio Toogood’s The Conductor.