{"id":298258,"date":"2026-06-03T11:02:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T02:02:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adfwebmagazine.jp\/?p=298258"},"modified":"2026-06-03T11:05:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T02:05:10","slug":"a-cappella-by-the-urban-conga-turns-jacksonvilles-musical-heritage-into-a-living-participatory-artwork","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adfwebmagazine.jp\/en\/architect\/a-cappella-by-the-urban-conga-turns-jacksonvilles-musical-heritage-into-a-living-participatory-artwork\/","title":{"rendered":"A Cappella by The Urban Conga Turns Jacksonville\u2019s Musical Heritage into a Living, Participatory Artwork"},"content":{"rendered":"

New riverfront installation invites visitors to remix lyrics from local artists and contribute to the city\u2019s evolving cultural story<\/h3>\r\n

A<\/span>\u00a0new public artwork on Jacksonville\u2019s riverfront is transforming the city\u2019s rich musical legacy into an interactive experience that encourages creativity, participation, and community engagement. Created by The Urban Conga<\/a>, A Cappella has been installed within the newly developed Jacksonville Riverfront Music Garden along the St. Johns River, adjacent to the Jacksonville Symphony.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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Photo credit: Photo by Christopher Brickman<\/p><\/div>

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A series of seats serves as places of pause and reflection within the work.
\r\nPhoto credit: Photo by Christopher Brickman<\/p><\/div>

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The flowing form of the artwork represents the four movements that comprise a traditional symphonic structure.
\r\nPhoto credit: Photo by Christopher Brickman<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n

Designed as both a tribute to Jacksonville\u2019s musical history and a platform for future expression, the installation celebrates the diverse voices that have emerged from the city across generations. The artwork draws inspiration from the structure of a symphony, with its flowing form arranged into four distinct sections corresponding to the four movements of a musical composition. Each section explores a different theme\u2014motivation, home, love, and freedom\u2014creating a sequence of experiences that reflects Jacksonville\u2019s cultural identity through multiple perspectives and eras.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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A visitor reads about the artwork and its relationship to symphonic structure and composition.
\r\nPhoto credit: Photo by Christopher Brickman<\/p><\/div>

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Birdseye view of people interacting with 'A Cappella.'
\r\nPhoto credit: Photo by Ryan Swanson<\/p><\/div>

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Photo credit: Photo by Christopher Brickman<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n

At the heart of the project is the city\u2019s extensive musical heritage. Developed through a broad community engagement process, A Cappella incorporates lyrics drawn from 84 songs by more than 60 Jacksonville artists spanning a century of music, from the 1920s to the 2020s. Local residents helped identify songs and lyrics that best represent the city\u2019s character, resulting in a collection that highlights both the diversity of Jacksonville\u2019s music scene and the shared themes that connect generations of artists.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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Light reflects and refracts off the work onto the surrounding environment.
\r\nPhoto credit: Photo by Christopher Brickman<\/p><\/div>

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At night, the installation illuminates, creating new interactions with light throughout the space.
\r\nPhoto credit: Photo by Robin Bossinger<\/p><\/div>

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Mom and son play with the lyrics of a song from the Jacksonville band 38 Special.
\r\nPhoto credit: Photo by Christopher Brickman<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n

Rather than presenting the lyrics in their original form, the project breaks them down into individual words and short phrases that visitors can rearrange and recombine. This interactive approach allows participants to create their own verses, encouraging them to engage directly with the city\u2019s musical legacy. By mixing words from different artists, genres, and decades, visitors can uncover unexpected connections while producing new lyrical compositions of their own.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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A visitor lines up words to create their own lyric.
\r\nPhoto credit: Photo by Christopher Brickman<\/p><\/div>

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The installation sits on a music note created as a part of the park's overall plan.
\r\nPhoto credit: Photo by Christopher Brickman<\/p><\/div>

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Photo credit: Photo by Christopher Brickman<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n

The installation\u2019s visual design reinforces its emphasis on exploration and discovery. Dichroic and reflective panels respond to changing daylight conditions, producing shifting effects of color, light, shadow, and reflection throughout the day. Integrated seating areas encourage visitors to gather, converse, and observe, while a central circular bench serves as a focal point that explains the relationship between the artwork\u2019s four sections and the four movements of a symphony.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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A visitor reads the longer verses of artists in the
\r\nPhoto credit: Photo by Christopher Brickman<\/p><\/div>

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The dichroic panels shift and change color depending on how the light hits the work.
\r\nPhoto credit: Photo by Christopher Brickman<\/p><\/div>

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The frame and line associated with each unit provide a visual cue showing when the original verse has been correctly matched.
\r\nPhoto credit: Photo by Christopher Brickman<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n

Designed to evolve over time, A Cappella also allows for the inclusion of additional artists in the future, ensuring that the installation remains connected to Jacksonville\u2019s changing cultural landscape. By combining music, storytelling, play, and public participation, the project creates a dynamic civic space where visitors can reflect on the city\u2019s past while actively contributing to its ongoing creative narrative.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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The form and interaction of the work encourage moments of open-ended play.
\r\nPhoto credit: Photo by Christopher Brickman<\/p><\/div>

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The work was designed to frame out different views of the surrounding city and landscape.
\r\nPhoto credit: Photo by Christopher Brickman<\/p><\/div>

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The work was designed to appear as if it were rising up out of the landscape.
\r\nPhoto credit: Photo by Christopher Brickman<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n

More than a monument to local music history, A Cappella functions as a living cultural platform\u2014one that celebrates Jacksonville\u2019s enduring musical identity while fostering new voices and connections for generations to come.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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Visitors take a selfie in the work.
\r\nPhoto credit: Photo by Christopher Brickman<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n\n\t\t