Art Blox, a digital platform for generative art based in Marfa, Texas, United States, has been organizing Art Blox Marfa Weekend every October for the past four years. It features generative artists from around the world who use algorithmic technology to create art. And this time Kochi-based visual artist Unnikrishna M Damodaran will participate in the event starting on October 16.
Unnikrishna’s participation is significant for the Indian art community, and Kerala in particular, as it signals global recognition for Indian digital artists. “This is more than just an individual achievement,” says Unnikrishna. “It’s the only platform for generative art in the world, the standards are so high. It’s a chance to represent Kerala’s artistic spirit in an international dialogue and connect with the global community of digital artists and collectors. Art Blox Marfa Weekend has become a cultural milestone, and being a part of it confirms that. Digital art is not just a trend, but an important artistic language of our times.”
Unnikrishna, who studied applied arts at the College of Fine Arts, Thiruvananthapuram, says that though there were no digital platforms in olden times, he is fortunate to witness the transition from physical to digital media. He says, “Creative art as a medium is for those who want to experiment and take on challenges as an artist.”
Often, generative art is confused or used interchangeably with AI-generated art, “Generative art is created with an autonomous system written by code. The process, rules and design are unique…The tools are codes, algorithms or rather mathematics-based systems. Like AI generated art no signs are applied. Only that it is also done on a computer.”
So does he write code as an artist? “No, I’m a visual artist who uses code to create an image. I use code as a layer for my paintings.”
Creative art of Unnikrishna Damodar. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
It doesn’t seem easy and what it was like for them to explore a new medium. “I have made my entry [into digital art] With NFTs in 2020. I wanted to experiment. Most artists in this genre are willing to change, learn, experiment… not afraid to change. This is new technology, one has the option to experiment with it, if as an artist you like it then you can adopt it. This process is a struggle and it also makes progress.”
At Marfa, Unnikrishna will present Consumer Conflict, a site-specific installation that combines physical consumer artifacts with generative works displayed on LCD screens. The work critiques how capitalist infrastructures and digital consumer communications shape aesthetics, language, and the pace of life.
By introducing slowness, ambiguity and hesitation, his art pushes back against the speed and clarity demanded by consumer systems, inviting viewers into deeper acts of reflection. “It goes against the pace of consumerism, I’m asking people to slow down, observe and then respond.” He wants to collect physical artifacts from Marfa. “Marfa is far away, I want to collect the ‘leftovers of consumerism’ – labels, packaging – that give things ‘meaning’.”
One of the works of Unnikrishna Damodar. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Marfa Weekend has become a bridge between artists and audiences who shape the future of the arts. For Kerala, Unnikrishna says, their involvement signals how local practices can enter the global circuit, providing both inspiration and visibility for the region’s growing digital art community.
This edition of Art Blox Marfa Weekend will include some of the area’s most influential names, such as Beeple, one of the world’s most widely recognized digital artists, Jack Butcher, whose conceptual works bridge design, branding and digital culture, in addition to the work of other productive artists such as Eric Calderon (Snofro), founder of Art Blox and creator of Chromy Squiggle; Tyler Hobbs was celebrated for the prestigious Fidenza series.
Art Blocks Marfa Weekend ends in Texas, October 19.
published – October 17, 2025 04:23 PM IST