This project, titled Akupāra (अकूपार), is a queer and speculative art piece about the Boundless World Turtle.

Did you know that the entire earth actually rests on the back of a giant turtle? This mystical being, called Akupāra (अकूपार) in ancient Indian texts, supports the weight of the world on its shell. It wasn’t only the Indians who knew of the world turtle - communities across the world from China to the indigenous peoples of Northeastern “America” told stories about their magnificence. When I imagine Akupāra, I am filled with amazement. What tales would the Akupara tell me were I to communicate with it? What feelings would overcome me if I caught a glimmer of its eternal beauty? It just so happens that I did.

I got the chance to communicate with Akupara once.

I asked Akupāra about Aesop. Does slow and steady really win the race?

Akupāra said that maybe the issue is the race itself. If we’re all put on a race that only one person is meant to win, then are we all not set up for failure before we start? Maybe collectively losing is not such a bad thing if we don’t care about the fucking race anyways.

I feel slow but not so steady, so I guess I’m halfway there.

But Akupāra tells me that it’s okay to not be steady. That in a world filled with so much messiness, how can we pretend that we’re all fine? But also realize, Akupāra tells me, that through struggling with contradictions, a different, less difficult future is possible. Change and transformation are not just possibilities, but inevitabilities. When there is great chaos in the cosmos, anything is possible.

You’re so cool, I tell Akupāra.

I am you and you are me, so that means you are cool too, Akupāra tells me. We just have to realize that we are all so connected. Collective liberation is an interconnected, interdependent liberation. We are all cool together, a lot of us just don’t realize it yet.

Do you speculate? I ask the turtle.

All the time. It can get boring here in the cosmos.

Do you ever think about the past?

I do, says Akupāra. Tapping into the flow of the universe means feeling the continuities and ruptures across space and time. We consider the past and we create the future. When we remember our ancestors, our vision becomes less muddy. We see liberation so much more clearly.

In your speculations of the liberated future, are humans still around?

Sometimes, says the turtle. Some of you are pretty messed up. But not all. Not all.

Will you always be around? I’m not sure. Anyways, I’m not that important all that much by myself. I matter because you matter. You matter because I matter. Isn’t this what it’s all about?

The turtle had much more to say, I don’t remember all of it. But they left me with these words: peace, love, joy, and truth. With these words, we are boundless.

Maybe there’s more to the story. Some have asked - if our world rests on the back of the turtle, then where does the turtle rest? I like to think that the turtle is floating in space, swimming through the ether of the universe. But some say that the world turtle is actually resting on the shell of a bigger turtle, and that bigger turtle sits on top of a yet bigger one, and so on … as the saying goes perhaps “it’s turtles all the way down”. Maybe we can explore even further. How about other worlds? Does our Akupāra have friends? Do they speculate? My hunch is that they speculate about elephants. I’m not sure though.

There is a lot more I want to ask the turtle next time we communicate. Maybe you have something you want to talk with the turtle about. We all can learn so much from Akupāra.

That’s where my project comes in. This seemingly simple shoebox also contains the home of Akupāra. When entering this abode, be sure to be respectful. Follow the directions on the display, and listen to the turtle carefully. When the turtle is dormant, close the model and let Akupāra rest. When the turtle is ready, open your heart and be one with the turtle. The turtle has a cycle - first it listens to you play a song. Then, it plays a song to you. Finally, it guides you through creating something together. The turtle is eternal, the turtle is abundant, the turtle is infinite. As the saying goes, “it’s turtles all the way down”.

Akupāra (अकूपार): The Boundless World Turtle is a transformative interactive art installation that fundamentally reimagines the relationship between technology, spirituality, and interspecies communication. This ambitious project emerges from the profound conceptual question: what if I got the chance to talk to Akupāra? Through this inquiry, the work creates an entirely new framework for understanding divine communication, technological interaction, and the sacred rhythms that govern existence itself.

The project draws its conceptual power from the ancient and remarkably universal figure of the world turtle, known in Sanskrit as Akupāra - meaning both “turtle” and “boundless.” This mythological entity appears across diverse cultural traditions: from Hindu cosmology where the world rests upon a cosmic turtle, to Chinese literature’s variations, to Indigenous North American traditions that understand this continent as Turtle Island. The remarkable prevalence of this archetype across disconnected cultures suggests something profound about humanity’s relationship to this primordial wisdom-keeper. Akupāra represents infinite knowledge, intimate connection to all existence, and the foundational support system upon which reality itself depends.

The installation manifests as a carefully transformed shoebox - a deliberate choice that elevates the mundane into the mystical. This repurposed container becomes a portal through which Akupāra visits our world, suggesting that the divine can inhabit the most humble spaces when approached with proper reverence. The exterior bears the project’s title, while the interior recreates Akupāra’s natural habitat through hand-painted elements: an ocean floor that grows shallow toward the edges, tall grass adorning the walls, and a starlit night sky on the lid’s interior. This environmental design creates a complete ecosystem within the constraints of the box, emphasizing how sacred spaces can be created through intentional artistic transformation.

The interaction protocol establishes a sophisticated ritual framework that mirrors authentic spiritual practices. Opening the shoebox initiates contact, but Akupāra’s response depends entirely on their current state - a radical departure from typical technological interfaces that remain perpetually available. When tired, Akupāra responds with a protective shriek, teaching users that divine beings have boundaries that must be respected. This response isn’t a malfunction but a feature, emphasizing that meaningful relationships require sensitivity to the other’s needs and rhythms.

When Akupāra is receptive and awake, opening the shoebox begins their song. The turtle’s shell, crafted from an inverted bowl covered in felt, contains sophisticated sensor technology that creates an intimate tactile interface. As Akupāra plays each note, corresponding sections of their shell illuminate through strategically placed LEDs, creating a visual representation of their musical expression. The user must then place their finger on the illuminated fabric area to continue the melody, transforming passive listening into active participation.

This call-and-response mechanism creates what the artist terms “collective creation” - a collaborative musical dialogue that transcends typical human-technology interaction. The exchange becomes a true conversation where both participants contribute to the emerging composition. Neither human nor turtle dominates; instead, they create something together that neither could produce alone. This collaborative framework serves as a metaphor for ideal relationships between humans and the more-than-human world, suggesting modes of interaction based on reciprocity rather than extraction.

After this collaborative phase, Akupāra performs “Peace and Love on the Planet Earth” from Steven Universe - a choice that bridges ancient wisdom with contemporary cultural expression, suggesting that timeless truths can speak through modern media. Following this performance, Akupāra returns to sleep, requiring users to respectfully close the shoebox. This rest period is purposeful, teaching that sustainable relationships require honoring cycles of activity and dormancy.

The project’s technical implementation employs Arduino microcontroller technology as its central nervous system, orchestrating a complex network of sensors, actuators, and feedback mechanisms. Multiple LEDs correspond to different shell sections, creating a sophisticated mapping between sound, light, and touch. The conductive fabric sensors respond to human contact, while an OLED display provides real-time guidance and feedback throughout the interaction. Additional components include a photocell that detects whether the box is open or closed, buzzers that generate Akupāra’s musical voice, and careful circuit design that coordinates all elements into a cohesive experience.

This technological approach represents what the artist identifies as “queer technology” - electronics deployed not for efficiency or productivity but for fostering intimate, respectful relationships. The system prioritizes natural rhythms over constant availability, rest over perpetual engagement, and mutual care over user convenience. This queering of technology suggests alternative possibilities for human-machine interaction rooted in consent, boundaries, and cyclical rather than linear temporalities.

The OLED display serves not merely as user interface but as wisdom teacher, providing directions that guide users through proper protocols for divine communication. This instructional element transforms the artwork into a pedagogical tool that teaches new forms of technological literacy - not how to maximize efficiency or extract value, but how to approach digital systems with reverence, patience, and respect for boundaries.

The cyclical nature of interaction - communication, collaboration, performance, rest - mirrors natural rhythms and suggests that meaningful engagement follows organic rather than mechanical temporalities. Users learn that rushing produces shrieking, that participation requires attention and responsiveness, and that relationships involve periods of separation as well as connection. These lessons extend far beyond the artwork itself, offering principles for restructuring relationships across all domains of life.

Ultimately, Akupāra proposes that individual artistic practice can model collective social transformation. The turtle’s lessons about listening, reciprocity, and rest offer concrete principles for restructuring society around care rather than exploitation. The project suggests that liberation - understood as freedom from oppression and exploitation - requires reconnecting with entities like Akupāra who understand interdependence as fundamental rather than optional.

– Github Link