Engineer turned film director Hitesh Kumar is founder of Splat Media Pvt. Ltd, a Delhi-based new media and design company with a headcount of 50 employees including graphic designers and VFX editors. Last September, Kumar launched the company’s Art Illume project to bring media students, artists and designers on one platform to create illumination art, interactive installations, virtual art galleries, and immersive public art.

“Art Illume enables artists and students to collaborate through conferences, workshops and seminars and create new media art. We have initiated a series of seminars in colleges and universities to introduce media students to projection mapping, light design, physical computing, creative coding, kinetic sculpting, and 3D technologies,” says Hitesh Kumar.

Newspeg. Splat Media is preparing to present its first Art Illume public exhibition using light, projection mapping and creative coding techniques, to be held in collaboration with the state government of Delhi in March.

History. A graduate of Jabalpur Engineering College, Kumar chose to follow his passion for visual art and design by exploring new media digital technologies and executing freelance projects. In 2011, he promoted Splat Media to provide visual effects, virtual reality (VR), 3D projection mapping and animation services.

“New media technologies have the power to provide immersive real-time experiences. Our objective is to marry art and design with latest digital technology innovations. For instance, projection mapping is one of the most fascinating modes of storytelling, enabling usage of building and monument surfaces as backdrops to present narratives.

Similarly, VR technology can be used by students to virtually visit historical sites, monuments and museums. Immersive learning enables them to improve understanding and learning outcomes,” he says.

Direct talk. “Most learning in colleges is theoretical and aspiring designers don’t get mentorship and opportunities to showcase their talent. Art Illume will bring students and artists together to use new technologies such as VR and 3D projection mapping to create immersive public art,” says Hitesh Kumar.

Future plans. Kumar is confident the Art Illume project will gather momentum over the next year. “We plan to intensify the number of seminars and workshops, and also increase public art displays and exhibitions which will enhance the art and cultural education of the public,” he predicts.

An overdue initiative.

Autar Nehru (Delhi)