In the new chapter of tech-based art, poets, illustrators and others are using technology only as an enabler to highlight issues
Varun Desai’s Kolkata studio is like a techno-den. There are a myriad tools—from synthesisers to 3D printers—which aid his practice, spanning music production, engineering, creative coding and immersive art. In recent years, his arsenal has expanded to include LiDAR scanning and iPad Pro, which he calls a flexible software sketchbook. On some days, he can be found animating lines; on other days, creating optical art GIFs and sound-mapping rooms.
Desai uses code as his primary tool, like a painter uses a brush, to talk…