MUSICAL CREATIVITY FOR ALL

From Instrument Design to Audience Participation

exhibition_toha_03

exhibition_uana_01

exhibition_dinos_02

MUSIC AND CREATIVITY

INSTRMNTS is an interactive exhibition of new musical instruments and collaborative sound installations. With workshops and live performances, the exhibition invites audiences to participate in a playful journey of musical creativity, introducing participants to new and unique instruments such as the toha, acrux, tahra, tipaw, uana and many others. Our primary goal is to foster a collective exploration of music making, underscoring the profound impact that playing music can have in promoting creativity, collaboration, and social interaction.

WHAT WE DO

EXHIBITION

Our touring exhibition offers visitors of all ages the opportunity to play with original instruments, participate in engaging workshops, enjoy concerts and performances, take part in musical games, and attend informative talks. We have also designed an educational program specifically for children from local schools, providing them with a hands-on learning experience.

CUSTOM DESIGN

Bring your vision to life with our custom design services. We specialize in designing and fabricating unique musical instruments and sound installations tailored to your specific needs, whether it be for a permanent exhibition, a museum, educational program, recreational facility, a park, or for a special project for composers or ensembles.

Tipaw is a new musical instrument featured in the interactive exhibition INSTRMNTS

workshops for all

Play instrmnts and share your experience with others.

Workshops in the exhibition space follow a narrative approach as each instrument has its own story. Designed with passion and creativity, our instruments are crafted to facilitate musical expression and engage everyone in the artistic process.

ACRUX

The acrux is a unique musical instrument that takes inspiration from the Southern Cross constellation, visible only in the night sky of the southern hemisphere. The design of the acrux reflects the configuration of this constellation, with each part symbolizing a specific aspect. The circular, vibrating lamellae symbolize the orbits of imaginary planets around the stars of the Southern Cross. The acrux captures the beauty and wonder of the night sky, bringing it to life through music.

UANA

Introducing UANA, a musical instrument designed for collaborative music-making. With the ability to accommodate up to four musicians, UANA is ideal for educational programs and engaging young people in the art of music. The Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences of West Virginia in Charleston, USA has one installed in their state-of-the-art music studio, providing a unique opportunity for musicians to explore new sounds and compositions.

TIPAW

Tipaw, one of the four contemporary musical instruments commissioned by the National Museums of Scotland in Edinburgh, is a unique creation inspired by the rumors of a Bengal tiger roaming the museum after escaping from the local Zoo. Its name, a play on words combining “tiger” and “paw,” reflects the instrument’s feline influence. To play Tipaw, up to four musicians strike the lower portion of the inverted singing bowls, producing a gentle yet sustained sound reminiscent of a tiger silently moving through the forest.

TOHA

The Toha, a musical instrument inspired by the intricate nests of sociable weaver birds found in the deserts of southern Africa, is designed for collaborative performances, with two musicians facing each other, each playing a set of strings with the same scale. This unique instrument invites visitors to the exhibition to engage in a shared musical experience, creating a harmonious and unified sound.

SHARING

For over two decades, we have presented the INSTRMNTS exhibition across three continents, continually refining our instrument designs to enhance their aesthetic impact, acoustic performance, and playability.

‘the Paul Hamlyn Hall looked amazing. The whole feeling around the exhibition with it’s interactive inclusiveness was perfect. I think it was the best use of the space I have seen for Deloitte Ignite Festival.’

Rebecca Hanson

Event Producer, Royal Opera House, London

EXHIBITION 2023 -
AFRIKA MUSEUM NETHERLANDS

Photography credits: Studio 38C, courtesy of Stichting Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen.

having the exhibition here was a blessing. I learned so much. It worked really well with our workshops and guided tours. I’m very proud on what we established last summer.

Maud Heldens

Coördinator Educatie | Teamleider Publieksparticipatie Afrika Museum, Netherlands

POET-TREE INSTALLATION

The Poet Tree is an example of how we conceive, research, develop and deliver projects to our clients. Commissioned by the Municipality of Oeiras in Lisbon for a public park dedicated to poetry, the Poet Tree was designed as an interactive sound installation in the shape of a tree. Its canopy is made of 60 cymbals each associated to a living poet. The wind causes the cymbals to gently hit each other creating a pleasant soothing sound. It features a webapp with 60 poets from the lusophone countries accessible via a QR code located on site.

Visit the poet tree at Designboom

POET TREE INTEIRA JARDIM_02_vert_low Large

DOWNLOAD A FULL PRESENTATION

more information in one document.

VIEW ALL OUR WORK

Explore the instruments we’ve designed, crafted and continually improved over the last 25 years.

VIEW ALL OUR PROJECTS

GET IN TOUCH

Book an INSTRMNTS exhibition and engage your audience.
Or collaborate with us to build some awesome new instruments.

Send us an email

SITE POLICY

At Instrmnts, we uphold the highest standards of accuracy, integrity, and inclusivity. Our content is carefully researched to provide reliable, unbiased information about musical instruments. We are committed to representing diverse perspectives and promoting ethical practices in all aspects of our work, ensuring a trustworthy experience for our visitors.

EN