You can shape sound and music at this museum

The Museum of Arts and Design's current exhibition, "Sonic Arcade: Shaping Space with Sound" features three floors of interactive installations, immersive environments, and performing objects that explore the ephemeral and abstract nature of sound. This kind of art usually sounds awful, but this show was actually really good, thanks in part to the KEF speakers and headphones (they are also one of the show's sponsors) used in many of the pieces. The Sonic Arcade exhibition is open now and runs through February 25, 2018 at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City.

Knotted Gate Presence Weave, Birch Cooper and Brenna Murphy's room-size sculpture with lights and interactive elements change sound as you walk through the piece. Little kids loved this one; it's a very trippy experience.

"Polyphonic Playground," designed by Studio PSK offers a wide assortment of sound producing elements you can walk through and touch to make and control sound. Your five-year-old can touch everything and still have fun.

Naama Tsabar's work converts an entire wall of a gallery into an electric guitar, with speakers embedded along the top of the wall. Visitors can move a long the wall to strum, pluck, and otherwise play this work. It's the best piece in the show.

A closer view of the "guitar".

This playable, sound producing jewelry is by Arjen Noordeman and Christie Wright.

Another playable bracelet by Arjen Noordeman and Christie Wright.

Julianne Swartz' graceful hand-blown glass, porcelain, electronics, and speakers make low throbbing sounds.

A mobile radio transmitter.

I loved playing with this one while listening over headphones. You can create sweeping tones, distortions, spikes and noises to your heart's delight. 

That's me playing around with a Foo/Skou piece.

An interactive piece by Foo/Skou.

This large piece by Emily Counts is festooned with porcelain "pastries" that trigger sound samples when pushed.

This piece by Lorre-Mill confounded me, but I'll come back another time and try to figure how to plug in the patch cords to make cool sounds.

Foo/Skou's round one -- you can swing your hands to make different sounds, or just poke at it.

Don a set of headphones and turn knobs, toggle switches and make as much noise and static as you like.

One last bracelet from Arjen Noordeman and Christie Wright.