Natural Rhythm

Natural Rhythm is an interactive audiovisual installation and performance that explores how human presence, care, and time shape living systems. The project invites participants to engage with plants through sound and visuals that respond gradually, encouraging a slower and more mindful form of interaction.

The project emerged from a personal experience during my grandfather’s recovery from cancer. He spent time watching nature videos and listening to music, and I created a short video combining a timelapse of flowers blooming with one of his favorite songs. Seeing how calming this pairing was sparked my interest in how sound and nature together can feel soothing and emotionally grounding, which later evolved into this interactive system.

Built in Arduino, Ableton Live, and TouchDesigner, Natural Rhythm integrates distance, capacitive touch, and moisture sensors to shape the audiovisual environment in real time. Proximity allows participants to influence the system without direct contact, touch introduces additional musical layers, and plant care over time affects the richness of both sound and visuals. Rather than triggering immediate responses, interactions accumulate, allowing participants to discover how their actions shape the environment through sustained attention.

The visual and musical language of the piece mirrors natural growth cycles, favoring gradual transitions, organic motion, and layered composition. Natural Rhythm functions as a responsive garden interface for performance or installation, and reflects my interest in building interactive systems that use technology to encourage calm, reflection, and care.