Jol Kotha Bole | Water Speaks
Durga Puja Preview Show, Kolkata
IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE AT DURGA PUJA
The project “Jol Kotha Bole | Water Speaks” was realized in cooperation with the German Consulate General and the Kolkata-based organization MassArt as part of the Durga Puja Preview Show 2023. Conceptually, the work explored the connection between the rivers Ganga (India) and Elbe (Germany) – two culturally and spiritually significant lifelines.
The installation translated the theme “Water as a connecting element between cultures” into an immersive audiovisual spatial experience. The audience was invited to sit at the center of the historic building and immerse themselves in a visual-acoustic narrative in which light, sound, and architecture merged into a new, shared language.
The main technical challenge lay in the precise projection mapping onto the irregular and heritage-protected architecture of the building. Columns, walls, and floors were individually measured and modeled in 3D software. The projection setup was executed with millimeter precision, allowing light and space to merge into a single, organic composition.
Artistically, the work was characterized by a strong coherence between image and sound. While the visual layer depicted abstract movements of water, light, and reflection, the eight-channel sound composition intertwined field recordings, water sounds, and musical structures into a dynamic, spatially perceivable flow of sound.
The exhibition was inaugurated on October 12, 2023, by German Ambassador Dr. Philipp Ackermann and presented as Germany’s contribution to Durga Puja and India’s G20 Presidency.
The project was highlighted by numerous media outlets as an example of an innovative synthesis of light art, architecture, and intercultural dialogue.
Service: Development, Engineering & Support
Client: German Embassy Kolkata, MassArt
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