Pulse Park, an interactive light installation, is Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s debut in the United States. The mechanics of Pulse Park interact with the biology of visitors. Attendees’ heart rates are monitored by a heart-rate-sensor; heartbeats activate pulses of narrow-beam light that move sequentially down rows of spotlights placed along the perimeter of the Oval Lawn. The result is a poetic expression of our vital signs, transforming public space into a fleeting architecture of light and movement based on human presence and vitalism. Lozano-Hemmer’s goal for the work is to “bring everyone together, to allow people to express some sort of agency in a public space.” Pulse Park is inspired by Roberto Gavaldón’s 1960 film Macario, a fantasy drama in which the protagonist has a hunger-induced hallucination wherein individuals are represented by lit candles. Minimalist music compositions of Conlon Nancarrow, Glenn Branca and Steve Riech are also sources for this work. Pulse Park is the culmination of a series, Pulse Room, that Lozano-Hemmer debuted at the 2007 Venice Biennale when he represented Mexico.