~Flow is situated by the Millennium Bridge in Newcastle Quayside floating on the North side of the Tyne. Apparently 3 years in the making, it is a tidemill that uses a waterwheel to provide power for interactive musical instruments inside. The idea is that the sounds the instruments make changes, as the River Tyne water that passes through changes. There are 3 interconnected electro acoustic musical machines e.g a laser Turbidatron generates sounds based on the muddiness of the water by driving a laser through the water. This is 1 of 12 public art commissions funded by the UK Arts Councils celebrating the 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games. It is in place until the end of September 2012.
My highest compliment to this piece of Art is that its free! Whilst interesting to a point, it strikes me as utterly pointless. The staff on site did not proactively explain what was happening, just sit around watching. I had a 7 year old with me who was changing the sound through one of the user interactive sessions & I asked how that worked or did what it did. That request was met with a brief factual but unenthusiastic answer before he turned back to his chair. So if you're in the area, pop in for 15 mins, it might appeal to you but don't make a special trip.
