A massive wind chime installation comes to Sonoma

If you find yourself in Sonoma this harvest season, be sure to head to the Donum Estate winery’s eucalyptus grove to see—and hear—American artist Doug Aitken new installation, Sonic Mountain (Sonoma), a work that mimics an ordinary wind chime.

“I wanted to create a living artwork, a piece that would change continuously and be performed by the natural environment,” Aitken said regarding his wine country piece.

Featuring two concentric circles dangling polished steel rods that emit chiming sounds, the hypnotic work contrasts nicely with its earthy, aboral surroundings.

Behold.

Billed as “a living and interactive artwork,” Sonic Mountain (Sonoma) opened Saturday with a performance by multimedia artist Hisham Akira Bharoocha who gathered 20 musicians together to activate the sculpture for a nighttime inauguration.

Aitken other major works include “Underwater Pavilions,” a series of underwater sculptures installed off Catalina Island where swimmers and scuba divers could explore, and “New Horizon,” featuring a mirrored hot air balloon flying across the Massachusetts sky.

The Donum Estate can be found at 24500 Ramal Road in Sonoma.