Credit: Special Arrangement
Vanisha R Bhonsle
On Sunday, a Bengaluru-based artiste will unveil an interactive installation that brings to life memories of Cubbon Park, as shared by its visitors. The registration for participants is now closed but visitors are allowed to drop in, watch the proceedings and scan a QR code at the site to listen to these stories.
Titled ‘Sonic Picnic’, the installation is shaped like a large picnic blanket made of over 65 fabric patches. Each patch is embedded with touch-sensitive audio devices. Once participants tap on these patches, they will be able to hear stories, on topics ranging from arranged marriages to a dead dog. These stories were gathered through interviews with people visiting Cubbon Park. “The blanket was stitched using conductive fabric, special threads and wires, with a microcontroller and touch module placed underneath,” media artiste and storyteller Karthika Sakthivel says, describing the process of the project.
She chose Cubbon Park for the diversity of people it draws, cutting across backgrounds and ages. Through ‘Sonic Picnic’, she aims to encourage the simple act of “story-listening”.
The project is supported by India Foundation for the Arts under its Project 560 initiative.
On April 27, 8.30 am to 11.30 am in Cubbon Park. The exact location will be revealed on @sonicpicnics on Instagram on Sunday.