A conductor's strokes become art in this orchestra's farewell campaign

Brazil's São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra (Osesp) has come up with an unusual way to raise funds: it's created artworks from the movements of its conductor's baton.

Working with Publicis Groupe agency Talent Marcel, an engineer installed a chip in maestra Marin Alsop’s baton so that the movements captured as she conducted works such as Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony were mapped and transformed into paintings. The tech involved bluetooth, a gyroscope and an accelerometer installed in the baton that communicated with software created especially for the project, which captures the movements.

The "See the Music" project was designed to commemorate and mark the farewell of the famous American conductor Alsop from the leadership of Osesp. The paintings created will be part of a commemorative exhibit and then will be auctioned on behalf of fundraising for the educational and artistic activities of the orchestra and its groups.

The campaign drops just as another Brazilian effort, from cookware brand Tramontina, made a synesthesia play, allowing consumers to "taste" music they hear on Spotify.