As a child, Shaktisree Gopalan’s family used to tease her for taking “extremely long baths”. When she finally emerges, her mind will be filled with thoughts ranging from the bizarre to the profound. One such shower idea, as it turns out, has evolved into her most cherished passion project: Soundgarden, a multisensory, interactive installation that invites people to play with sound, light, and space in ways that are unexpected. He had never even imagined.
What is Soundgarden?
At its core, Soundgarden is an immersive, interactive audio-visual experience that turns sound into something you can touch, see, and co-create. According to Shaktishree, space is filled with shining jewels – like beings. When someone approaches or touches a sphere, it lights up and emits a sound, with each sphere having a unique pattern.
“It’s like being in a forest,” she explains, “You can see a bunch of pink flowers and be attracted to them. You will then search for yellow or follow the hum of insects. I wanted to recreate it, but with sound. The idea of people moving around a space, influencing the sound, and having the sound react to them was beautiful.
Shaktisree Gopalan’s Soundgarden Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Each sphere interacts in different ways. Some people respond to touch with a single sound; Others remain in place until tapped again. Their lights glow or change colors, creating a tangible connection between what visitors see, hear and do.
From a technical standpoint, Soundgarden is no small achievement. Shaktisree worked closely with Leonard Pauley, a creative technologist (whom she calls co-mentor of the project), and a group of ECE students to bring the installation to life. “There were infinite challenges – sensor detection, scalability, proximity detection,” she recalls. “We tested a number of possibilities, from infrared to capacitance, to see what worked best. But that’s the fun of it – rapid prototyping and discovery.”
a philosophy of sport
At its core, Soundgarden is not just about sound or light; It’s about the game. Shaktisree believes that sports is something that adults desperately need to rediscover. “When we are kids, we meet someone on the playground, and it’s very natural – someone bounces the ball at you, you bounce it back. No instruction is needed,” she says, “but as adults, we play less. We don’t reach out, touch and explore for fear of making mistakes. This project is about breaking that fear.
The installation creates an environment where there are no wrong notes, no missed strings. There is harmony in everything. “Many people look at an instrument like a guitar or a piano and think, ‘I don’t know how to play that.’ But anyone can create in a sound garden. It’s like painting, but with no barriers to entry.”
Shaktisree described it as “a multiplayer game where participants can collaborate, much like jamming in a band.” In doing so, they co-create a unique “soundscape” for their 15-minute session in the space. “It’s like leaving a sound footprint,” she says. “We’re also recording these sessions, so it’s like a group photo – but with sound instead of visuals.”
Shaktishree Gopalan Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
dream come true
Soundgarden first came into existence at the Under 25 Summit in Bengaluru last year. “It was overwhelming,” admits Shaktishree, “The place was not designed for such a big crowd, but the way people experienced it was amazing. Some people were sitting near the parikrama and meditating, while others were playing with the fog or taking photographs. “It was very rewarding to see them make discoveries in ways we didn’t expect.”
One of the most inspiring moments came from the students who helped create it. “They said, ‘We didn’t know that was possible with electronics.’ That sense of discovery – that’s what it’s all about.”
For its next iteration, Soundgarden is evolving. Shaktisree and her team have fine-tuned the experience, ensuring that the space accommodates small groups to maintain a sense of intimacy and exploration. The installation will be visible at Sabha BLR in Shivaji Nagar as part of BLR Habba, a celebration open to all.
Shaktisree Gopalan’s Soundgarden Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“The idea has grown a lot since the first edition,” says Shaktisree. “It’s like a band rehearsal – you can’t fully predict how the audience will react until the show happens. . I’m very excited to see how people react this time.”
For Shaktisree, Soundgarden represents much more than an artistic project. This is a way of connecting people. “When people realize who they are and that they are part of something bigger, a collective consciousness, it’s a beautiful thing. I don’t know why early humans made cave paintings, but it seems like they were trying to say, ‘I was here.’
If the history of the universe were compressed into one calendar year, the entire recorded human history would occur in mere seconds on December 31. Yet, in those seconds, we’ve gone from drawing pictures in caves to capturing sounds in rainbow orbits, thanks to one particularly beautiful shower idea.
You can experience the Sound Garden for free on 13th December from 7 PM to 8 PM at Sabha BLR, Shivaji Nagar. For booking and more information visit blrhubba.in.
published – December 13, 2024 at 10:30 am IST
