Anamika V’s latest body of works explores what it means to be human in the AI age

In an age where our screens dominate our lifestyle, artist Anamika V returns with an important reminder of what it means to feel human. Her latest exhibition, I’m Not A Robot, opening on November 21 at Espace, Alliance Française of Madras, delves into the fragile threshold between memory, imagination, technology and lived experiences. Curated by N Ramachandran, the show brings together Anamika’s newest body of mixed media works. 

I’m Not A Robot explores the opportunities and obstacles of the ‘AI’ era, where every one of us is swamped by technology, and where it is leading us – to no man’s land. 

Anamika V
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

“For over three decades, since passing out of the College of Arts, Chennai, where I studied painting and printmaking, I have always worked in long, immersive series that span six to eight years. My current body of work, which has evolved over the past several years, comes from observing the technological boom around us. Technology has made our lives efficient and comfortable, but somewhere in this rapid advancement, I feel we are losing something essential,” says Ananmika. 

“Everywhere we go — apps, mass media, the digital world — we are constantly asked, ‘Are you human?’ It is ironic, because these questions are posed by machines, yet the deeper question is one we should be asking ourselves: What makes us human? This thought pushed me into a space of introspection. I began to reflect on psychology, environment, technology, mass media, and the subtle ways they shape and influence us, which ultimately became the influence for this body of work,” she further added. 

Shifting Semblances by Anamika V
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

“In an era dominated by AI, smartphones, fibre optics, and an overwhelming flow of information, her work asks a simple, piercing question: “What do all these mean to a child who only wants to play and be normal?” As she has employed mixed media with forms dissected and overflowing with layers like a dream, questioning the existence of humanity … the drawings by the artist intervene in layers and forms, confusing the actual reality we live in,” says Ramachandran, curator of the exhibition.  

From broad strokes to minute dots, the paintings move away from the fixed and familiar toward openness and experimentation. 

I’m Not A Robot will be on display from November 21 to 28. From 10am to 6pm, at Espace, Alliance Française of Madras, Nungambakkam.