What if, instead of simply viewing MF Husain’s iconic paintings in a gallery, you could step inside them? If you were at Mumbai’s iconic waterfront venue, Ballard Pier Downtown Experience Centre, on August 1 and 2, you could do just that — immerse yourself in the first-of-its-kind multi-sensory show that translated the legendary artist’s iconic horse paintings into animated canvases. The two-day experience, which reimagined interactive storytelling with architecture, light and scale, was created by The Collectors’ Cove — an invitation-only cultural platform — in collaboration with creative enterprise Floating Canvas, online auction platform Giftex and auction house AstaGuru.
Husain’s immersive showcase is part of a larger shift in the art world, where technology is becoming a powerful storytelling tool rather than a substitute for artistic skill. The growing importance of digital art is evident at the contemporary art fair, Art Basel 2026. A dedicated digital platform, Zero 10, made its European debut this year after Miami Beach and Hong Kong.
The shows featured artist Beeple’s robotic installations interrogating machine agency, Maya Man’s explorations of online desire, and James Turrell’s immersive light environments. Turrell’s participation in Zero 10 was a major highlight with his immersive installation featuring works from his ongoing Glass Work series that utilise time-programmed LEDs.
Back home, veteran Indian artist Nalini Malani represents technology with Of Woman Born, an immersive installation inspired by the Greek myth of Orestes. Rather than retelling the story of Orestes, the son who avenged his father’s murder by killing his mother and her lover, Malani reframes the ancient narrative through the lens of contemporary conflicts, war, gender-based violence and women’s lived experiences. The work comprises 67 interconnected animations, created from more than 30,000 iPad drawings revealed in nine videos, superimposed with a soundtrack of women’s voices. The work, commissioned by the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, is on view until November 22 at the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia.
Around the world, digital art is becoming a major cultural movement. TeamLab Borderless, an immersive digital art museum in Tokyo, makes visitors explore rooms filled with moving lights and projections. The most visited entertainment district, Outernet London in the UK, has transformed giant public screens into artistic displays, while Ars Electronica, an Austrian cultural, educational and scientific institute active in the field of new media art, continues to bring together art, science and technology. In the US, media artist Refik Anadol is creating AI-powered museum experiences that show how technology can reshape the future of art.
Evolving market
According to the Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report 2026, the global art market is valued at $59.6 billion, with digital art accounting for an estimated $5.5-6.2 billion and continuing to grow. Industry experts point to a new generation of collectors in their 30s who are entering the market with greater confidence, driven by rising incomes, global exposure and a willingness to embrace contemporary and digital art.
“As young buyers become more informed, they are conducting thorough research before purchasing art, which marks a significant shift from the past,” says Dinesh Vazirani, CEO and co-founder of Saffronart.”
India’s growing appetite for immersive art is reflected in AI-generated works and interactive installations at events such as the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Serendipity Arts Festival and India Art Fair, while independent art spaces in Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai are also encouraging such collaborations.
The recent arrival of teamLab at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC), where the show titled Second Nature runs until January 2027, explores the relationship between humans, technology and nature through large-scale digital installations. It features works by Random International, AA Murakami, Simon Heijdens and Universal Everything.
Among the highlights is Flowers and People, Cannot be Controlled but Live Together, where thousands of digital flowers bloom and disappear as visitors move through the space. Resonating Microcosms — Solidified Light features glowing sculptures that respond to touch with changing colours and sounds, while Nirvana: Fleeting Flowers, Radiance Within surrounds visitors with flowers that appear and dissolve, reflecting the cycle of life.