Mumbai artist Nandita Kumar uses biomimicry to create artworks

Mumbai-based artist Nandita Kumar harnesses the magic of technology to highlight human-nature through artworks that mimics various designs that are seen in nature.
In her recent work titled "Element Earth" Kumar, a programmer-turned-artist has used solar energy as a fuel to function.
She used printed circuit boards (PCB) along with light sensors to create sounds depicting a natural habitat. The concept used by Kumar is termed Bio-mimicry, which could be understood as a new approach to innovation, that seeks sustainable solutions to human challenges by emulating nature's time-tested patterns and strategies.
The creation is currently on display at the ongoing exhibition "Working Space around memory and perception" at the Kiran Nadar Art Museum here.

Kumar's minimalist creation is housed in a big glass bottle and comprises of copper wires, microchips and small speakers.
On a closer look wires and the components seem to resemble trees depicting a forest like habitat. Kumar has programmed the light sensors with hybrid sounds such as of birds chirping, whales mating and some even from outer space like the sound of earth from a distance through radio wave.

As soon as the solar cells are charged, these sounds blended into each other start playing on loop.
"Some of the sounds that you listen here have been taken from the American space organization, Nasa such as those from The Big Bang and various others that prevail in the outer space. I have used them with the voices of the animals and birds so as to create something which more or less mimics nature," Nandita told PTI.

"I have always been keen to understand the behavior of humans and other living beings, this piece is symbolic about what we have got from nature and have now left it behind," says the artist.