Get a glimpse of the Computational Art installation at the India Art Fair 2023, supported by Tezos Foundation in collaboration with Tezos India
Experience the cutting-edge intersection of art and technology
Synopsis: For the first time ever, India Art Fair 2023’s Outdoor Art Installation, will feature a large-scale Computational Art installation, supported by Tezos Foundation in collaboration with Tezos India. The live and dynamic installation, titled “Computational Convergence” will showcase generative NFT artworks by artists Karthik Dondeti, Pixelkar, Aranya and KALA made available for visitors to freely collect via smartphone on the Tezos blockchain. Tezos India will have four 8-foot high kiosks with 800 editions of digital generative NFT art from each artist, totaling 3,200 unique algorithmically generated masterpieces, that fair visitors can freely collect via smartphone during this year’s India Art Fair. Tezos India is also organising a workshop, Computational Thinking, for artists who want to explore how to apply computational techniques to enhance artistic practice and create more innovative works.
India Art Fair 2023’s Outdoor Art Installation ‘Computational Convergence,’ supported by Tezos Foundation, in collaboration with Tezos India, aims to introduce computational art to the attendees and galleries at IAF and experience cutting-edge intersection of art and technology for the first time as a large-scale installation in an outdoor public space. The installation will showcase generative NFT collections designed by four talented artists, Karthik Dondeti, Pixelkar नितान्त, Aranya (Ritesh Lala), and KALA (Ujjwal Agarwal), and introduce a giant infographic outlining the ‘History of Computational Art’ on its front-facing wall.
This project is aimed at raising awareness of art forms by exhibiting the whole spectrum of computational artistic practice over the decades, with an emphasis on fx(hash) on Tezos Blockchain. Tezos India will have four 8-foot high kiosks with 800 editions of digital generative NFT art from each artist, totaling 3,200 unique algorithmically generated masterpieces, that fair visitors can freely collect via smartphone during this year’s India Art Fair to be held from 9th till 12th Feb, 2023. The process will be facilitated via a QR code leading to a 3-step process. Tezos India’s team will be onsite to assist people in creating a blockchain wallet and collecting the algorithmically generated work. These works can be collected free of cost until sold out when they will be available on the secondary market via fx(hash) and objkt.com.
This year, showcasing the rich artistic creations curated by participating galleries, the section will put a strong emphasis on artwork from distinguished names such as Karthik Dondeti, Pixelkar नितान्त, Aranya (Ritesh Lala), and KALA (Ujjwal Agarwal).
Karthik Dondeti is an Architect, Generative artist based in Bangalore, India, who holds an MDesS in Design and Technology from the Graduate School of Design, Harvard University, and a B.Arch from SPA, Delhi.
Find hi-resolution photo for the project here – Click here
Algoscapes| Rock-face by Karthik Dondeti (@d0ndeti), 2023, Built in P5js. Algoscapes| Rock-face builds on past work on generating landscapes algorithmically (Algoscapes). The artwork is an attempt to capture the essence of naturally occurring rock faces through geometry and code.
It is an attempt to reflect on the intricacies of natural formation processes, the diverse vocabularies ranging from the jagged edges of a mountain’s summit to the flowing lines of a canyon wall sculpted by a river. The result is a constantly evolving display of colour and form reminiscent of the natural world.
Pixelkar नितान्त is a computational artist from India who merges art, design, and technology in his work. With a background in interior design, Pixelkar brings a unique 3d perspective to his art, inspired by grids and patterns found in nature as well as Indian art and craft.
Find hi-resolution photo for the project here: Click here
Rangxel by Pixelkar नितान्त | A generative art project that combines the traditional Indian art form of Rangoli with modern digital techniques. The project uses a set of rule-based algorithms that follow the traditional rules of Rangoli formation, like Symmetry, Repeated Patterns, and Themes, to generate patterns. It uses pixelated voxels to create Monolithic Structures Inspired by Rangoli.
The project also incorporates the mathematical structure of a tesseract, adding a futuristic and otherworldly dimension to the art. The patterns generated by the project are inspired by the natural Three Dimensional grids found in nature, such as crystals and honeycombs, creating a unique fusion of traditional and modern art forms, where the traditional rules of Rangoli are honoured in a digital medium.”
Aranya (Ritesh Lala) is a New Media artist based in New York. Growing up in Ahmedabad, India, he was deeply influenced by the algorithmic structures of ancient South and East Asia. With a background in Digital Signal Processing, he went on to earn a Masters in Media Arts and Technology at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Find hi-resolution photo for the project here: Click here
Flow Meditations by Aranya (Ritesh Lala) | A series of digital meditations informed by flow states. To flow is to expand and contract with the waves within. A tangled chaos of particles is unhindered with a deep breath and relaxation. With permission to flow, patterns emerge.
To meditate with this artwork, keep your eyes moving slowly, trying not to fixate on a point. When thoughts arise, gently let them go and return to the artwork. Bring your awareness again to the act of seeing moment by moment. Flow might arise in many ways – turbulent, synchronous, circular, ephemeral, convergent, divergent, rising, waning, or a mix of any of these.
KALA (Ujjwal Agarwal) is a multidisciplinary new media artist working with art and technology to create meaningful, real-time experiences. He has a B.Tech in Computer Science from MNIT, Jaipur, and a Masters in Computational Arts from Goldsmiths University, London.
Find hi-resolution photo for the project here: Click here
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The Yoni Project by KALA (Ujjwal Agarwal) | The Yoni Project is a generative art piece that explores the concept of the yoni, a Sanskrit word that refers to the female reproductive organ and is often used as a symbol of the goddess and the source of life in various Indic religions and other ancient cultures.
The project aims to pay homage to the divine feminine concept of Shakti, the embodiment of energy, power, and creativity. The focus of the project is female empowerment and self-discovery. It aims to provoke thought and inspire conversation about the role of the feminine in our society.
Art for a cause
As an added initiative, royalties from The Yoni Project will be donated to the Kolkata-based, youth-led feminist organisation Rangeen Khidki Foundation. They focus on adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health and rights while also collaborating with other stakeholders, such as parents, teachers, and community organisations from marginalised backgrounds. With a pleasure affirmative lens, the group promotes gender equality, inclusion, and diversity with an emphasis on human rights and gender justice. They can be found online at https://rangeenkhidki.in/
Tech X Art
The exhibition will showcase an impressive collection of tech-meets-art projects and installations, inviting viewers to explore and experience the potential of digital art. The four India Art Fair Digital artists’ works will be featured in a special section along with a workshop titled ‘Computational Thinking’. The purpose of the workshop is to persuade participants to attend a session on computational thinking that is specially tailored for aspiring artists and art lovers. The workshop’s facilitators, Karthik Dondeti and Pixelkar, will examine how using computational tools might improve one’s artistic practice and produce more avant-garde pieces. Participants will gain knowledge about how to manipulate, visualise, and analyse data to inform and inspire creativity and incorporate computational thinking in their creative process.
Participants can sign up on the spot and bring supplies such as graph paper, pencils, clipboards, erasers, and 6-inch rulers. 20 will be chosen from among the participants for the presentation-style workshop. All events will take place in the workshop/auditorium; the introduction to the outdoor art installation will be made as a presentation using representations of the artists’ step-by-step processes for creating their generative art collections.
About Tezos India
Tezos India is an organisation supporting the Tezos ecosystem in the Indian sub-continent. As innovation in the blockchain space advances in India, Tezos India constantly strives to address key barriers facing blockchain adoption to date in India, through developer adoption, education and training, and ecosystem development. Learn more about Tezos India at https://tezosindia.org.in
About Tezos
Tezos is a self-upgradable blockchain that enables forkless upgrades with its on-chain governance system, improving accessibility and longevity for solutions built and utilised by the Tezos community. An energy-efficient Proof of Stake blockchain with a proven track record, Tezos seamlessly adopts tomorrow’s innovations without network disruptions today. For more information, please visit https://tezos.com/
