'Capitalism Works for Me! True/False'

By 12:47 p.m. Friday afternoon, 39 people had answered "false" and 28 had answered "true," but there was still almost two hours of voting to go.

They were answering a question posed by a large, 20-foot, colorful, flashing art installation by Steve Lambert called "Capitalism Works for Me! True/False."

To vote, they had to press a big red or green button, which transferred their response to the score-board-like sculpture.

"There are a lot of different reasons people vote they way they vote," said Lambert, who was on hand to help people engage with his work. "A lot of people wish there was a third button, which is kind of the point."

Lambert said the work is designed to encourage people to consider the question, which is "never really presented as a choice."

"I'm not telling people what to think," he said.

The sculpture was brought to Somerville by the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum. Other than the museum's home in Lincoln, the sculpture has been to Cleveland and Somerville, its second stop on a tour that will ultimately take it to the West Coast and upstate New York.

Different communities respond differently to the sculpture, said Lambert. In Lincoln, for instance, most people press the "true" button.

The work itself is reminiscent of a mid-century advertisement or theater marquee. "I think [people] are so stunned by the visual, and I think the flashing lights kind of put people in a trance," Lambert said, adding, "There's something comfortable and familiar about this style."

The work is fun and provocative in its own right, but a large part of the fun comes from watching how people interact with it. It's a people-watching gold mine. Some smile and have a conversation as they vote; others storm up in anger and slam their hand onto a button; many people stand around and watch.

The sculpture was scheduled to be in Davis Square from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. If you missed it, we're posing the same question below. We'll pass on the results to Lambert.