The Accessible Instrument

The Accessible Instrument (2024) is a collaborative, interactive sound installation that blends large-scale sculpture, embedded motion sensors, and generative audio to create a healing, somatic experience. Designed by sculptor Michael Fortenberry and sound artist Michael Simonelli, the work invites participants to engage with the sculptures through movement and play. Hidden sensors inside the suspended wooden forms convert gestures into sound via a custom wireless system.

The installation's name carries a dual meaning: it is both an accessible musical interface, open to anyone, regardless of training, and a metaphor for the body itself as an expressive, sensory "instrument." The sculptures, some suspended and swinging, are intentionally irregular in shape and mass, requiring bodily awareness to engage safely and fully. This interaction gently encourages participants to enter their own physical space, engage their parasympathetic nervous system, and rediscover a sense of unstructured play.