Art becomes interactive: The new media design revolution

India is a country renowned for its culture and diversity and is a land of various artforms. Many of our artists have excelled on the world stage in the fields of drawing, painting, sketching to photography, visual art, applied art and performing arts. As a nation, we have grown to embrace the new advancements involving them in our culture.

Interactive art has become one such advancement. As digital technologies continue to evolve, so are the new forms of artistic expression. In the age of new media design revolution, smartphone, touchscreens, 3D printers etc are all new ways of creating art-making it much more engaging and interacting.

What does interactive actually mean? We touch something and then experience the upshot of that act? Or does interactivity already come about when we view an image?

In interactive digital art, the artist is concerned with how the artwork reacts to the viewers' presence which in turn evokes certain nuances and feelings. Public spaces – from shopping malls to schools, hospitals, and entertainment venues – are increasingly designed with human-centric, interactive approaches. Designers are recognising the value of interactive technology in driving traffic, educating, healing, and entertaining over platforms that engage and connect people on a multi-sensory level. Advancements in lighting control technology are allowing for sophisticated interactivity in LED mapping. These new technologies are bridging the gap between lighting control and AI, with the ability to analyse and map data input (such as audio) in real-time. In current times, technology has given us an unrestricted possibility. Unlike standing apart while viewing a 2-dimensional canvas, a viewer seeing an immersive light fixture is surrounded by light, which allows him or her to experience an artist's vision like never before.

What is New Media Design?

Art gives us an enhanced perspective to look at the common everyday happening. The impact of it is not ignorable at all. Over the decades, the world has witnessed a new artistic language where art and technology have become intertwined with each other called New Media Arts. The amalgamation of art and technology has given us a new way of looking at the world. This modern age art allows the visitors in an art gallery, museum or exhibition to engage with such art pieces in a multi-dimensional way.

This is an evolving form of art which is created using new techniques like interactivity, projection-mapping, immersive technologies, robotics, graphics, video games, animation, various 3-D technologies, physical computing, augmented and virtual reality, and the possibilities are immense. We are familiar with terms like engineering be it, mechanical or computer or electronics, however, have you ever wondered about getting creative or creating art with these skills?

Today, art professionals carry a holistic blend of knowledge, creativity, talent, skills and other disciplines which helps them in creating a larger than life experience for their viewers. The proliferation of new media and eminent culture has created an increasing demand and supply for conventional visuals and performing arts expertise. From art galleries to communities, visual arts and contemporary immersive lighting have found significance across industries as companies now have started recognising the importance of visual appeal in product designs, branding, packaging, marketing and advertising.

It no more holds the truth that the artist is the sole author of the work. With the development of technology, the audience becomes an integral piece in the creation of the meaning and reflections of the created works, thus making art more interactive and synergistic.

- ArtIllume