Sound Oasis

Magnetic Fields is a three-day boutique music festival set within a 17th-century palace in the desert village of Alsisar, Rajasthan - one of India's leading underground music events, known for its high-intensity programming and immersive atmosphere. It was within this charged environment that the Sound Oasis was conceived: a deliberate counterpoint to the festival's energy, designed to bring people into presence. Amid the heat, the noise, and the altered states that define the festival experience, the installation offered something rare — a moment of genuine stillness. Created in collaboration with Svaram and Ayahi, the Sound Oasis is an interactive sound installation sited at the central courtyard of the palace, where it functioned as a quiet, humming focal point against the vibrant stages surrounding it.

At the heart of the oasis stands a sacred pyramid structure — enigmatic in form, magnetic in effect. Suspended before each of its faces, bells await interaction: each chime an invitation inward, opening a small portal of introspection for whoever reaches out to sound it. The pyramid also served as a stage, with two audiovisual sound journey performances giving the audience an opportunity to decompress — the installation transforming from a passive presence into an immersive experience. Sound Orbs placed within the space extended its atmosphere further, enveloping visitors in resonance and drawing them into a deeper quality of listening.

The Sound Oasis was commissioned by the festival organisers themselves — a recognition that the most complete festival experience is one that holds space for both intensity and stillness. Placed at the heart of the palace grounds, it offered visitors a conscious pause: a place to decompress, to listen differently, and to return to themselves before stepping back into the current. The question it posed was a quiet but compelling one — that even within the most charged of environments, sound placed with intention can dissolve the noise and bring a person fully into the present moment.