Quarter scale model of the Dithyrambalina, musical house.

Wooster Collective and their collaboration with Kickstarter have brought to light several interesting street art projects that are changing the scope of society through various important ideas. The latest highlighted is the Swoon-designed Dithyrambalina -an interactive sculpture/house in New Orleans that functions like a musical instrument. Working with local and international sound artists, Swoon, who also produced the salvaged flotilla called Miss Rockaway Armada among many other things, created the look of the house and with a team of architects and salvage suppliers, is part of a group creating walls, floorboards, and other areas of the ‘House” to bring sound through touching and walking around the house.


The blighted Creole Cottage that stood on our build site. They will use its salvage in the construction of the Dithyrambalina.

Once completed with their first concept this fall, they plan to invite musicians to “play the house” and host various block parties and events. The house location is on an old Creole Cottage site, who’s parts they are using to build the musical house itself.

So why build a musical house? The intention is to bring attention to the destruction from hurricane Katrina to New Orleans. Many properties are still dilapidated. The musical house will emphasize the restructuring of this city and its musical roots.

“This project is an imaginative attempt to redress the futility of this blight by finding within it vast resources of salvageable materials. By turning our salvaged construction into a music box that is free, public, and playful we are inviting the wider community to imagine and participate in a new landscape of potential and possibility.”

So far, the project has 303 backers and has exceeded its goal of $12,000 with a total of $14,666.


Swoon’s Ice Queen, currently at Art in the Streets, comes as part of a $3K pledge.

See video clip of the project below.

In other Street art news, JR and his Inside Out project has debuted a video that’s worth checking out.