The SoundShirt

Ryan Genz

The SoundShirt is a multi-sensory wearable artwork that transforms sound into touch. Designed for both deaf and hearing audiences, it allows users to experience music, speech, and ambient sound as real-time haptic sensations mapped across the torso and arms. Entirely soft and body-conforming, the shirt contains a network of micro-actuators that translate the emotional landscape of sound directly onto the skin. More than a piece of technology, the SoundShirt is an expressive medium—a new way of connecting to sound, and an interface between the performer and the body, the unseen and the felt. It has been worn in symphony halls, dance theaters, and football stadiums, creating a shared emotional experience where hearing is no longer a prerequisite for connection. By turning the body into a resonant chamber for sound, the SoundShirt invites new understandings of presence, empathy, and accessibility. It challenges traditional boundaries between art, fashion, and function, proposing a future where garments don’t just clothe us—they connect us. The aesthetic is minimalist yet futuristic, crafted from stretchable textiles that move with the wearer while maintaining elegance. The design celebrates tactility, softness, and inclusivity. The SoundShirt calls for a rethinking of design as an inclusive, empathetic practice. It expands what it means to hear, to feel, and to belong—placing accessibility at the heart of artistic innovation and inviting those often overlooked to participate fully in the emotional and creative experience.