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Heart Beacon is an interactive enclosure of light, color, and sound located at the Emergency Coordination Center in Portland, Oregon. The sculpture acts as a symbol of hope and resilience for the community, similar to a lighthouse in that it both comforts and warns. The simple geometry and gentle curve of the two halves resemble wings and exude strength and calm in a time of crisis. This highly interactive sculpture takes the literal and metaphoric ‘pulse’ of the Portland community. The sculpture takes inspiration from the life-saving mission of the Emergency Coordination Center.

During the day, sunlight streams through the acrylic walls creating a diffused glow of light and shadow patterns. There are two touch-activated pulse sensors that visitors are able to touch and trigger a heartbeat noise within the walls of the sculpture. In the evening, energy-efficient color-changing LED lighting projects rhythmic lighting displays along the walls of the sculpture in sync with visitors’ heartbeats. People are encouraged to work together to coordinate pulse-activated lighting effects. Heart Beacon celebrates life and the inspiration to protect it by bringing preparedness into each person’s daily life.

Date:

2013

Location:

Emergency Coordination Center, Portland, OR

Dimensions:

9' x 9' x 18'

Media:

stainless steel, acrylic, LED lighting, electronics, sound transducers, heartbeat sensors

Commissioning Agency: 

City of Portland

Artist:

Joseph O'Connell, Blessing Hancock

Heart Beacon

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Creative Machines Inc.

4141 E. Irvington Rd.

Tucson, Arizona 85714

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Our Creative Machines shop is located on the ancestral lands of the Tohono O'odham Nation. We are nestled in the heart of Tucson, Arizona, a vibrant, culture-rich city, both presently and historically. This land was home to some of the earliest people in North America, the Hohokam, and we honor and respectfully acknowledge the indigenous nations that have stewarded this land since time immemorial. Today, Arizona is home to 22 federally recognized tribes, with Tucson being home to the Tohono O’odham and the Pascua Yaqui Tribe.

SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENT

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