Being kept out of most attractions in DC due to the ongoing government shutdown, we were welcomed at Planet Word Museum by Mexican-Canadian electronic artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s interactive sculpture “Speaking Willow” which celebrates the world’s vast linguistic diversity. Lozano-Hemmer captures the grace and resiliency of the willow tree, qualities that beautifully mirror the way languages evolve and intertwine through this auditory marvel. As visitors stroll beneath the tree’s sweeping branches, they trigger the 365 small, bell-shaped speakers that hang from above into conversations. Each speaker plays a recording in a different language, together representing the voices of more than 99% of the world’s population. Strolling around “Speaking Willow” is like listening to beautiful symphony, reminding us that while language roots us in our own communities, it also connects us to countless others through the shared rhythm of human expression.

If you visit, you may also want to stop for a bite at the Museum’s restaurant Immigrant Food, which celebrates all the global flavors that truly make America great!