Fusion reaction: Art, technology come together

ArtTech Festival Peshawar display various creative inventions

PESHAWAR: Art and technology culminated beautifully into magnificent scientific creations at  ArtTech Festival in Peshawar. The event was held at the Peshawar Museum on Saturday. Moving art pieces were displayed at 20 stalls in the exhibition.

Extraordinary participants

Kabir Martain, a second year-student from Edwardes College stood out in the exhibition as he belonged to a low-income background and was the only representative from his college at the event. Martain put six paintings on display, including the sketches of natural sceneries, abstract art and film characters.

Martain told The Express Tribune his father was a peon at St John’s School in the city and could not afford his art expenses. However, the second-year student persisted and saved up pocket money to support his interest in art. “I want to pursue a medical degree in future but still keep my passion for painting alive,” he said.

Hassan Baig, a megatronic engineering student of National University of Science and Technology, said the project he presented at the festival was based on the identification of human expression. Baig designed image-based software which identifies a person through a camera instantly.

“The software can be used in investigations and robotics,” he said.

A group of three students from IT University Lahore set up a stall to present two different projects. One of the members, Ali Hassan, said the group created a teaching tree, where different alphabets were attached to the branches of this tree. “When a child touches the alphabet, a voice pronounces it, thereby teaching them the sound,” he said. “It is a useful tool for playgroup schools and for teaching children with special needs.”

Organising the event

Muhammad Aziz, one of the organisers told The Express Tribune the Art-Tech Festival was a two-day event aimed to explore how to promote culture through technology. He said people from different parts of the country were participating in the event. Several food and drinks stalls were also made available for the visitors.

Workshops about entrepreneurship in the creative industry, stop-motion animation, creation and innovation, 3D fabrication, game design, digital storytelling, filmmaking, technology tools and robotics were also held.

Aziz said that the event was organised by K-P Information Technology Board in collaboration with The World Bank, Peshawar 2.0, Department of Tourism and Culture and  several other sponsors.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 22^nd, 2015.