Shakthisree Gopalan’s SoundGarden brings multisensory play to Bengaluru

As a child, Shakthisree Gopalan’s family used to tease her for taking what she calls “ridiculously long showers.” When she would finally emerge, her mind would be full of thoughts and ideas, ranging from the quirky to the profound. One such shower thought, as it turns out, has grown into her most cherished passion project: SoundGarden, a multisensory, interactive installation that invites people to play with sound, light, and space in ways they likely never imagined.

What is SoundGarden?

At its heart, SoundGarden is an immersive, interactive audio-visual experience that transforms sound into something you can touch, see, and co-create. The space is filled with glowing orbs — creature-like, according to Shakthisree. When someone approaches or touches an orb, it lights up and emits sound, each orb possessing a unique sample.

“It’s like being in a forest,” she explains, “You might see a bunch of pink flowers and gravitate toward them. Then you’d explore yellow ones or follow the hum of insects. I wanted to recreate that, but with sound. The idea of people moving through a space, affecting sound, and having the sound respond to them felt so beautiful.”

Shakthisree Gopalan’s SoundGarden
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Each orb interacts differently. Some respond to touch with a single sound; others sustain until tapped again. Their light brightens or changes colour, creating a tangible link between what visitors see, hear, and do.

From a technical perspective, SoundGarden is no small feat. Shakthisree worked closely with Leonard Pauli, a creative technologist (whom she calls the co-parent of this project), and a group of ECE students to bring the installation to life. “There were endless challenges — figuring out sensors, scalability, proximity detection,” she recalls. “We tested so many possibilities, from infrared to capacitance, to see what worked best. But that’s the joy of it — rapid prototyping and discovery.”

A philosophy of play

At its core, SoundGarden is not just about sound or light; it is about play. Shakthisree believes that play is something adults desperately need to rediscover. “When we’re kids, we meet someone on a playground, and it’s so natural—someone tosses you a ball, you toss it back. No instructions needed,” she says, “But as adults, we play less. We don’t reach out, touch, and explore for fear of mistakes. This project is about breaking down that fear.”

The installation creates an environment where there are no wrong notes, no missed chords. Everything harmonises. “A lot of people see an instrument, like a guitar or a piano, and think, ‘I don’t know how to play this.’ But in Sound Garden, anyone can create. It’s like painting, but with sound. There’s no barrier to entry.”

Shakthisree describes it as “a multiplayer game” where participants can collaborate, much like jamming in a band. In doing so, they co-create a “sonic landscape” unique to their 15-minute session in the space. “It’s like leaving sonic footprints,” she says. “We’re even recording these sessions, so it’s like a group photo—but with sound instead of visuals.”

Shakthisree Gopalan
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Dream realised

SoundGarden first came to life at the Under 25 Summit in Bengaluru last year. “It was overwhelming,” Shakthisree admits, “The space wasn’t designed for such a large crowd, but seeing how people experienced it was amazing. Some sat meditating near the orbs, while others played with the fog or took photos. It was so rewarding to see them explore in ways we hadn’t anticipated.”

One of the most moving moments came from the students who helped build it. “They said, ‘We didn’t know this was possible with electronics.’ That sense of discovery — that’s what this is about.”

For its next iteration, SoundGarden is evolving. Shakthisree and her team have fine-tuned the experience, ensuring that the space accommodates smaller groups to maintain a sense of intimacy and exploration. The installation will appear at Sabha BLR in Shivaji Nagar, as part of the BLR Hubba, a festival open to all.

Shakthisree Gopalan’s SoundGarden
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

“The idea has grown so much since the first version,” Shakthisree says. “It’s like a band rehearsing — you can’t fully anticipate how an audience will react until the show happens. I’m so excited to see how people respond this time.”

For Shakthisree, SoundGarden represents more than an artistic project. It’s a way of connecting people. “When people realise their sense of self and that they are a part of something larger, a collective consciousness, it’s a beautiful thing. I don’t know why early humans made cave paintings, but it feels like they were trying to say, ‘I was here.’” 

If the history of the cosmos were compressed into a single calendar year, the entire recorded human history would occupy mere seconds on December 31. Yet, in those seconds, we’ve gone from drawing in caves to capturing sounds in iridescent orbs, thanks to a particularly beautiful shower thought.

You can experience Sound Garden for free at Sabha BLR in Shivaji Nagar on December 13, from 7 pm to 8 pm. For booking and more information, visit blrhubba.in.