Stephen Vitiello’s site-specific sound work A Bell For Every Minute was installed in 2010 in the High Line’s 14th Street Passage, a semi-enclosed tunnel between West 13th and West 14th Streets. Vitiello’s subtle tribute to New York City is comprised of recordings of bells from throughout New York City, which range from the iconic ring of the New York Stock Exchange bell to the everyday sound of bike bells. Each minute, a different bell tolls from the tunnel’s surrounding speakers, offering visitors both a unique auditory experience and an acoustic tour of New York City.
A corresponding map identifies the location of each bell, allowing the listener to more specifically follow the geographic journey of the recordings. Collectively, the bells function as a sort of microcosm of the urban landscape, representing the varied sounds of the New York City reality. A Bell for Every Minute was the second of two projects commissioned for the High Line (the first was Spencer Finch’s The River That Flows Both Ways, 2009) and was presented in partnership by Creative Time, Friends of the High Line, and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.
