Spilling the Beans about the “Beans”
July 23rd, 2010When entering into our current exhibition by Ann Hamilton, there are many different sounds that confront the visitor, emitting not only from the speaker system in the building, but also from live elements in the space. One of the noises coming from both of these sources is a steady, rhythmic crackling. When you walk up the stairs to the Mezzanine level, you encounter the source of this sound: a population of small dark beans reverberating against a steel table. These elements, magically moving of their own volition, are the famed Mexican jumping beans.
The “bean” is actually a seed from a tree found in certain mountainous regions in Mexico. The seed contain the larva of the jumping bean moth. In the spring, these moths lay their eggs on the seed, which then burrow their way inside and turn into larvae. The larvae feed on the soft tender heart of the bean and remain protected inside during the course of their development into moths. The following spring, the moths hatch, and the cycle repeats itself.
The beans actually “jump” as a survival measure. The heat, which causes them to dry out, is their enemy. Thus, when the bean gets into the sun or onto a hot surface, the larva snaps its body in an effort to roll to a cooler place.
At the Pulitzer, the sound they make as they reverberate on the table is miked and amplified through speakers in the floor of the Mezzanine, giving the visitor the experience of being truly immersed in the beans. At times, this sound is also emitted throughout the main speaker system in the building. All in all, the beans provide a living, moving that literally animates the space.
