New Wave

Geetika Sachdev spotlights shortlisted talent from the Digital Artists in Residence Programme at the India Art Fair 2024

- Geetika Sachdev

'The art challenges the technology, the technology inspires the art'. These words by American filmmaker, producer and animator John Lasseter present a solid case of how art and technology intersect to make powerful statements. With digital art being de rigueur today, artists are going the extra mile to create immersive experiences that can raise awareness about issues close to their hearts, like climate change and loss of biodiversity.

The Digital Artists in Residence programme debuted on the India Art Fair (IAF) calendar in 2023. Held at Delhi's NSIC Exhibition Grounds from 1 to 4 February 2024, the art fair, and the second edition of the programme in particular, demonstrated a palpable appetite for technology-meets-art projects and installations. This year's theme, 'Forces of Nature,' was a clarion call for digital artists to 'merge forces of the natural and digital world' to inspire, inform and trigger discourse around a sustainable future.

The artists Sadhna Prasad, Aaron 'Myles' Pereira, Ameya Shinde, and Dhruv Jani, who were shortlisted for this programme, created interactive artworks, weaving poignant tales of ecological crises, often drawing from their personal experiences.

As Digital Artists in Residence, they didn't just get an opportunity to showcase their concepts at the IAF 2024 but also got to let the audience in on their creative process as part of the Today at Apple sessions.

We chatted with the artists to understand more about their artistic journeys.

REALITY CHECK

At IAF 2024's Digital Residency Hub, Sadhna Prasad's artwork 'I'll Be Back (பலோபிட வரனே')' draws intrigue with its liberal use of colour. Imbued with a contemporary aesthetic, it appears to be a mish-mash of scenes at first glance. On moving closer, an unexpected narrative unfolds.