Chennai's Digital Art Exhibition Merges Indian and Korean Traditions with Futurism
At first glance, the psychedelic cat with piercing eyes appears as a standalone artwork. However, when scanned with a mobile phone, it reveals a deeper digital creation—"nature spirits in a dream-like setting, with personal messages," according to artist Julie Stephen Chheng.
Fortune Teller: A Collaborative Digital Experience
The collaborative digital art exhibition, titled Fortune Teller, at the Inko Centre at Alliance Française in Chennai, is transforming the gallery into an immersive space of moving images, sound, and light, presented as animated loops. Created by Berlin-based Indian artist Sam Madhu and Korean artist Seoyoon Yoonet, the show features an augmented reality narrative experience where spectators enter a room where eyes incarnate themselves through illustrations.
"In interactive art, the spectator is the main character and has a lot to do," explains Julie Stephen Chheng. "This deepens emotional engagement, as appreciation depends on how each spectator interprets the messages that appear on screen."
Blending Cultural Traditions with Digital Innovation
Drawing from Korean and Indian beauty practices, the exhibition merges both traditions—such as the deep red Indian bindis and the similar red dots worn by Korean brides—with futurism through CGI, 3D modeling, and digital fashion. "Both of us are digital artists," says Sam Madhu, who met Seoyoon through Instagram. "Digital art is complicated, unlike how people perceive it. But you don't need models, photographers, or lighting. Everything can instantly be translated into ideas."
Sam emphasizes that digital art is sustainable, particularly in the fashion industry, which can be incredibly polluting. "The artists help a lot in fashion by reducing waste and resource use," he adds.
Challenges and Opportunities in Digital Fashion
Seoyoon Yoonet's design philosophy focuses on recreating something futuristic from traditional fashion, with the digital medium suiting the concept well. However, she notes that technology has its limitations. "I'm a fashion designer who works in both physical and digital worlds, creating real garments with digital tools. But the texture and fabric can differ from the digital art versions in real life," she explains.
Digital Art's Growing Role in Chennai's Creative Scene
The ongoing Madras Art Guild and the Chennai Photo Biennale also include digital and cross-art works, highlighting the medium's expanding presence. While digital tools are becoming integral to the creative process, artist skills remain crucial, according to Parvathi Nayar, a visual artist and writer. "Perhaps their intellect and conceptualization become even more important now," she observes.
This exhibition underscores how digital art is not only reshaping artistic expression but also fostering cultural dialogue and sustainability in creative industries.
