How Technology Has Impacted India’s Art World
Art has been intimately intertwined with Indian society and culture for centuries, with some examples of early Indian art dating back to 8000 B.C. As with most things related to the country’s culture, every region and state in India offers a variety of artistic techniques and traditions. Over time, with influence from different cultures as well as technology, the art world in India has evolved significantly. Globalisation and technology, in tandem, have also helped Indian artists and their work expand across borders and make a name for themselves in the international art markets.
One of the most significant impacts that technology has had on India’s art world is in the way art is now being created and shared. Artists have access to a lot more tools, resources, materials and mediums to work with. One such resource is Artificial Intelligence (AI), which allows artists to replicate styles and techniques that they admire from other artists. AI has also made it easier for enthusiastic art practitioners - be it professionals or hobbyists - to learn and polish their art skills. Artists are now using AI not only to improve their work but also to preserve it.
Technology has also offered greater opportunities to reach a more vast and diverse group of potential buyers. This is especially true for emerging contemporary artists as well as folk artists from the farthest corners of India. For them, gaining exposure for their work and expanding their audience is as simple as showcasing their art with an online art aggregator and curator like ArtRekha. The digital world also makes it easier for artists with limited resources to create and increase brand recognition, which is an important factor for art collectors.
As technology becomes an even bigger part of our daily lives, it is bound to affect the way we consume as well. This is now becoming evident even with the way people consume and purchase art. In fact, with the increasing popularity of e-commerce across every sector, the trend of people turning to the internet for most of their purchases has infiltrated the art world as well. Especially over the past few years of a global pandemic, interest in buying art has increased since people started paying more attention to their indoor spaces, and their work-from-home schedule allowed more time and attention to spend on their online art purchases.
Even with the increasing popularity of e-commerce, some people are still wary and have concerns around buying valuables such as art online. In this case, with technologies such as blockchain, artists are able to ensure the authenticity of their work and even prevent replicas from being created. This allows individual pieces of artwork to be registered and tagged, and protects the interests of both artists and consumers. With ArtRekha, you also receive such a guarantee of authenticity in the form of a certificate with each art piece you purchase.
Whereas once, the art world was considered elitist and exclusive, technology has also helped make it more accessible to even those who would traditionally be considered outsiders in the art world. Gone are the days when only a niche group of society had access to art curators, museums and auction houses from whom to purchase art. Nowadays, with an online platform such as ArtRekha, which seeks to revolutionise the art market in India, art enthusiasts and collectors can browse, envision and purchase an art piece with just a few clicks. With the help of ArtRekha’s easy-to-use Augmented Reality (AR) tool, you can take the guesswork out of buying art online and get an idea of exactly how your chosen piece of art will look in your physical space before you’ve even bought it.
ArtRekha is proud to be part of the technological revolution that is taking the Indian art world by storm. On one end of the art value chain, one of our main purposes is to help Indian folk and contemporary artists gain the exposure and recognition that they deserve; on the other end, we aim to be a tech-centric, one stop shop for architects and interior designers who are looking for carefully curated artwork to bring their next design project to life or art enthusiasts looking to expand their collection.