The world is embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI), a technology that is gradually invading our lives. Harshit Agrawal, a pioneering AI Indian artist, agrees. Looking back at what led him to the form in 2015, he mentions, “AI has become ubiquitous across all aspects of our life; from the computers we work on to the various services we use online, from our entertainment to security verification, and on our handheld devices that have become an extension of ourselves.”
Having since gone on to present at several shows as well as having recently curated India’s first NFT exhibition and auction for Delhi’s Terrain.art (a digital art marketplace), Agrawal will now be presenting the nation’s first solo AI exhibition. Titled ‘EXO-Stential – AI Musings On The Posthuman’, this show is curated by Delhi-based Myna Mukherjee.
“Indians are definitely becoming more invested and represented in AI Art. The worldwide community is seeing that the ‘Global South’ has a lot to say in what was previously a largely euro-centric space. We bring our unique perspective to a lot of relevant issues, be it gender and sexual biases or state surveillance and racial profiling,” says Agrawal.
Mukherjee, who is also director of Engendered (an Arts and Human Rights organisation), muses, “AI will ultimately either be the best thing to happen to humanity or the worst. As a curator, what strikes me most about Harshit’s work is that it consciously engages with this inevitable techno-centric reality we live in, rather than being simply sucked into it.” The usage of AI can help transform the art. Mukherjee says, “AI allows us to witness how humans can work with machines to enhance creativity, rather than allow it to be replaced by machine labour.”
The exhibition, which will display nine pieces, will be on view online as well as be live at Kolkata’s Emami Art from September 11-30. Aparajita Jain, Founder at Terrain.art and co-director at Vasant Vihar-based art gallery Nature Morte, that showcased India’s first Al show in August 2018 in Delhi, points out that the NFT exhibition mentioned above saw nearly all its pieces sold. She believes, “Indian Art is no longer in a silo, as everything is online now. Both digital and AI art is increasingly finding both creators and investors in the country.”
We, and our devices, will see you there.