Davina Semo's Interactive Bells in Brooklyn Bridge Park Create Post-Quarantine Disruption

Davina Semo's installation 'Reverberation' features five neon-orange bells suspended from aluminum frames in Brooklyn Bridge Park, overlooking Manhattan across the East River. The artwork invites public interaction through chains attached to clappers, generating loud noise when pulled. Visitors of various demographics have engaged with the bells, including a man in his late thirties who rang them for nearly a minute and a twenty-something who briefly participated before retreating. The installation will remain on view until April 18, 2021. Semo's work emerges within the context of post-quarantine New York, where public spaces have gained renewed importance with restaurants expanding outdoor seating and parks hosting numerous gatherings. The bells symbolize broader societal tensions in the United States, allowing any passerby to create disturbance while reflecting contradictions in public space usage between normalization and radicalization. The artwork doesn't attempt to resolve these tensions but instead highlights the inherent conflicts in public encounters, tapping into people's inclination toward mischief. The installation's perforated surfaces create unique light patterns even on overcast days, with the orange bells contrasting against the harbor backdrop.