VizChitra 2025

In this talk, I will share my experiments on “emulation of aesthetics” in generative (algorithmic) art and the use of physics-based systems as artists. I will show how aesthetic cues from a wide range of visual media can be incorporated into essentially abstract works, which then act as initial points of familiarity for the viewer (as aesthetic déjà vu), gently leading them into the unknown and unfamiliar. The process behind the development of particular ideas will be explained, along with exploiting occasional “imperfections” as “style” (à la the miniaturists from Orhan Pamuk’s My Name is Red).

Focusing on a system of gravitational bodies, I will demonstrate how artificial constraints can be added to “tame” the inherent chaos in the system, steering it into specific aesthetic states. A system of particles can paint a celestial Pollock, emulate calligraphy and generate intricate knittings. Interfacing with music leads to interesting visualizations where the physical process paints out the variation of sound. In the end I will show a small extension to the use to shaders along with the gravitational systems.

Takeaways

1. One of the most challenging and exciting parts of algorithmic art is to question “How can I code this?”, when you see a particular visual aesthetic.

2. There is an inherent “generative” aspect in even simple physical systems, which can be used to great visual effect.

Audience

Most of the talk will be pitched at a basic level, accessible to everyone, with only a small component aimed at people with some experience of coding/generative art.

Bio

My name is Siddhartha Mukherjee. I am a scientist (working on turbulent flows and active matter - both very visual fields of research) and an artist (primarily documentary and street photography, and generative art). I have been a generative art instructor as well, and started teaching it on the side during my PhD at TU Delft (Netherlands), then at IDC School of Design (IIT Bombay) and ICTS-TIFR (Bengaluru). Some of this work has been exhibited at the Rotterdam Photo Festival, Highlight Festival (Netherlands), India Art Fair (New Delhi) and the Bengaluru Science Gallery.

Currently, I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Kanpur. Alongside scientific work, I am trying to bring Visualization and Aesthetics into the institute curriculum. You can find some of my visualization work and artist portfolio via: https://www.sm-iitk.in/