The installation you’re reading about
‘Ballet of the Woodpeckers’ (1986) by Rebecca Horn — currently (early 2020) on display at the Tate Modern in London. The installation is in the Tate’s Blavatnik building, featured within a mini exhibition of Rebecca Horn’s work.
What it’s like to experience
Immersive — in an eerie way.
Eight large mirrors form a three-sided square in a space within the Blavatnik basement. Around the mirrors are 19 electronically controlled hammers — two to three hammers per mirror.
Each hammer strikes its mirror every 13 seconds before slowly winding back and pausing. They each strike with a different degree of force. Some hit so light you barely hear them. Others hit so hard they bounce on the mirrors. The hammers’ lengths average (what looks like) about a foot long, some a little shorter, some a little longer.