ACM SIGGRAPH is a paradise for Computer Graphics (CG) lovers and a space where art and technology unites. Being a non-profit, volunteer-driven organization, it’s a cause, focused on society as they feel that India has a lot of talent and potential to succeed in this space but is held back due to most of the work being isolated and disconnected with little to no collaboration taking place. They focus on bringing coherency to this industry which in turn benefits other lines of work as it is the backbone of several fields that are rising at a fast pace like that of Artificial Intelligence and cloud computing. Its vision is to build a sophisticated ecosystem from the grassroots level, mentor the professionals and students, and also the inclusion of people within society that conventionally have not been exposed as much to technology and CG such as women. The Bengaluru edition sees a series of events that brings together people of this industry, acting as a platform for ideas to congregate and innovation to thrive.
Why do we need SIGGRAPH
The birth of this organization stems from the fact that India is lacking in this industry and its boom could take not just sectors within the country to new heights but the country itself.
Communities within the radar:
Computer Graphics
Animation / Visual Effects/ Gaming
Augmented Reality/ Virtual Reality/ X Reality
Aerospace / Space / Automobiles
EdTech /Visualization Industry / Medical Animation / Simulation Industry
The coming together of these communities along with brainstorming can lead to the birth of several ideas to revolutionize space. What makes this event even more special is the presence of big players in hardware and software for graphics under one roof.
The Bengaluru Edition
The Bengaluru edition as the name suggests brings the SIGGRAPH community to India! Not many Indian techies, artists, academicians and students have the luxury of attending the international CG Conferences due to lack of affordability and accessibility. Bengaluru ACM SIGGRAPH Chapter ensures to provide a podium to all Indian techies and artists and experience, participate and contribute to the events.
Apart from the fact that this is a world-class event, this event influences thousands of tech lovers and inspires them to come together to put out new technology that would benefit a lot of people across communities. This event makes India a CG hub and an important player not just in Asia but all over the world. Another boon for this event is the assertion it has on the market focused on art and technology, thereby integrating CG with AVCG causing a ripple effect by opening up this space to so many more people. SIGGRAPH Bengaluru also has a massive focus on research and education for design and art bringing all fundamental elements of the ecosystem together. With that being said they also aim to bring allied interests together and energise them for collaboration. Simply put, an amalgamation of the best of both worlds.
Impacting at a community level
As mentioned earlier, SIGGRAPH aims at ecosystem building at a grassroots level and therefore impacts the following sectors of society in the following ways:
Students
Students who are pursuing engineering will be given an opportunity to understand the computer graphics industry and the knowledge required to pursue this field. Learning from great speakers and inspiring lectures showcasing practical applications will make them more inspired.
Companies
Companies interested in making new products and services can see potential hires by the growth of their companies and also be actively involved in showcasing their contribution to the industry which in turn can be used in other sectors. For example, ISRO can present its visualization workflow, which in turn can be discussed for use in other applications and similarly cross-industry knowledge can come together if required for open-source contribution.
Professionals
Professionals in the industry can learn new techniques and network with the other people in the industry knowing that a healthy industry will give an opportunity for everyone to grow intellectually as well as from a working ethics point of view.
Industry
As an industry, if the community grows and gets stronger, new products and services will emerge which will, in turn, contribute back to society in terms of solving genuine problems that countries like India are facing. By collaborating with other industries, significant outputs can be delivered.
SIGGRAPHs vision
Being a one-of-a-kind organization working on this crucial industry, SIGGRAPH has a series of long-term goals which it intends to focus on. They aim to make themselves the central point of knowledge sharing and networking in Computer Graphics. SIGGRAPH Bengaluru also aims to conduct regular meetups and arrange events that could demonstrate innovation in this field making it all very transparent and helpful for everyone. To stand as a source of inspiration for the people of this industry as well as those who aren’t very familiar with it, raising awareness at the same time. Exhibiting to the local community that education can be practical and fun with the use of computer graphics knowledge and that great art requires excellent technical skills is another purpose.
VIGA and SIGGRAPH
We at Viga, being a company that focuses on the integration of art and technology stand in solidarity with the essence of the event and aim at aiding in organizing any events with utmost fluidity and enthusiasm. We are proud to be part of it and are certain that it will be a mesmerizing experience for everyone.