Digital Craftsmanship : Social and Environmental Musings

In collaboration with Brihatta Art Foundation, Bureau 555 presented a site-specific, interactive demonstration at the Victoria & Albert Museum (South Kensington), exploring the past, present, and future of craftsmanship. The project connected traditional artisanal techniques, human creativity, and digital technology, showing how heritage practices can evolve through innovation. The demonstration explored digital perceptions through making and modeling, illustrating how integrating digital assets into product development and design could significantly reduce carbon emissions across the supply chain. By creating 3D digital assets, virtual representations of objects were made to simulate their real-world behavior in real time across multiple platforms, demonstrating the potential to save resources and reduce environmental impact through virtual prototyping.

Under the creative direction of Bishwajit Goswami, twelve Jamdani block motifs—hand-carved from locally sourced gamari and mango wood—were created using traditional designs reflecting Bangladesh’s rich textile heritage. The motifs, passed down through generations of master weavers, reference the natural and botanical landscapes of the region. Pigment colours symbolized elements of nature: brown for earth, green for vegetation, and blue for water. Three event-specific 3D characters—Tepa Putul, Tree, and Rainbow—were developed by digital artist Ashrafia Rumman Adib for augmented reality (AR). Visitors could digitise their block artworks, map them onto the 3D characters, and experience their creations in AR. Participants were also guided virtually by artisan Subodh Kumar Pal to make their own Tepa Putul out of clay.  This blend of craft and digital technology bridged physical and virtual perception for the audience.