Indian multimedia artist Viraag Desai has been announced as one of the six winners at the second edition of the recently held Julius Baer Next Generation Art Prize. Julius Baer, the leading Swiss wealth management group, endeavours to support contemporary talent and the winners have been chosen by a jury of industry experts, including acclaimed artists Refik Anadol and Shubigi Rao, curator Fu LiaoLiao, Simon Fisher from Ocula, art specialist Shivajirao Gaekwar, and Theresa McCullough from the Asian Civilisations Museum. We speak to Viraag about his exhibit Pathfinder, his creating art with computer algorithms and more.
Tell us about the exhibit that you showcased at The Julius Baer Next Generation competition.
I proposed a project Pathfinder as an interactive video which will be displayed in various digital formats. Inspired by the art and architecture of grand religious sites, I am developing a digital experience that mirrors that of being in such a place. Thematically I will be focusing on the worker and the craft rather than the king of deity. This project will be entirely sculpted in virtual reality using motion sensors.
What’s mixed media art for you?
It is so much of a cross-pollination between media, processes and ideas, that it’s hard to define what is not mixed nowadays. I think it is more interesting to list out all the ingredients that go into work than label a work as mixed media.
What inspires you?
There are incredible online communities of hobbyists, craftspeople and technophiles who are constantly putting content out there for the love of it. I keep some time away every week to explore and execute a new medium or technique before someone else does.
How do you create art using computer algorithms?
I’m highly involved in “procedural modelling” which is using algorithms or computer code to generate geometry. I often use such techniques to generate organic forms like roots and trees. There are also possibilities of generating geometries that are quite extraordinary and often resemble things seen on the microscopic level or deep sea.
What is art for you? What are you working on right now?
Art for me is when you take a medium to its ideological and material extremes. You play with it to understand it and then attempt to make something singular and interesting. Currently, I am honing my skills in digital VR sculpting. Other than the ongoing Julius Baer Art Prize project, I have a show — Rhizome — at the end of this month at Chhatrapati Shi vaji Vastu Sangrahalaya (Museum), where I will be reacting to some of the classical Indian and Tibetan sculptures. I am also working on some largescale commissions