Interactive ArtworkTasveer Ghar uses AI for an interactive artwork
Matchbox Momentos is based on the classic Indian board game Moksha Patam (Snakes & Ladders) and aims at exploring the vribrant visual culture of matchbox art made in India. Becoming a matchbox art collector, players can dive into a game inspired by the collection of Gautam Hemmady, one of India's most renowned collectors of matchbox art, and created by artist Harshit Agrawal using StyleDrop, a Google Text-Image Style AI Generation model. This work, developed in collaboration with the Museum of Art & Photography and Tasveer Ghar, marks the first Google Arts & Culture Artist Residency program in India.
Matchbox art has a rich and vibrant history in India, capturing changes and stories of Indian society. Indian collectors called phillumenists preserve this unique heritage as a hobby, finding thrill and intrigue in hunting for these rare items. Matchbox Momentos illustrates a new playful way to connect with this archive that offers a unique insight into everyday life of erstwhile India. From industrialization, musical instruments, cinema, wildlife, flora and fauna. Visitors can collect up to 342 matchboxes from the collection Gautam Hemmady donated to the Museum of Art & Photography, and that has been digitised by Tasveer Ghar, through 19 matchbox themed journeys.
Tasveer Ghar was co-founded by Christiane Brosius, Sumathi Ramaswamy and Yousuf Saeed.