Mumbai: Digital Stone, a contemporary art exhibition touring three cities in China, has opened at the Today Art Museum in Beijing. The exhibit, sponsored by Autodesk, features the work of four American stone sculptors who use 3D software to create sculpture and represent the surprising intersection of art and technology.

Touring through Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing, Digital Stone demonstrates the fusion of 3D modeling technologies with traditional stone carving techniques practiced in China for thousands of years. This exhibit features artists Bruce Beasley, Jon Isherwood, Robert Michael Smith and Kenneth Snelson.

The artists started with Autodesk design tools to form and stretch complex shapes for their sculptures, before a single stone was cut. Then they worked with some of the finest stone carvers in China, who used 3D rapid prototypes to create the extraordinary stone sculptures featured in the exhibition. The artists’ process of conceptualizing and digitally sculpting their ideas is also featured in the exhibition.

"The primary value of using Autodesk’s design software, and what you see in the Digital Stone Exhibition, is the fantastic ability to try ideas spontaneously without using expensive materials and time-consuming mechanical processes," said sculptor Bruce Beasley. "The ability to design, see, understand and evaluate designs quickly without having to invest precious time and money is absolutely liberating for any designer."

"I met with sculptors using Autodesk software and was surprised to learn that artists were applying technology built for engineers, architects, manufacturers and animators," said Autodesk president and CEO Carl Bass. "The Digital Stone sculptures introduced in this exhibition are compelling examples of an innovative approach to art, and show a way of experiencing form digitally before making it real."

Artists can now use design technology to translate their creative ideas into prototypes to help them master their craft. The sculptures in the Digital Stone Exhibition were created using Autodesk 3ds Max, Autodesk Maya, Autodesk AliasStudio, and Autodesk Inventor. Autodesk 3ds Max and Autodesk Maya are widely used in 3D animation and visual special effect production. Autodesk AliasStudio is the software of preference for top-class auto designers, and Autodesk Inventor is the cornerstone of Digital Prototyping solutions for the manufacturing industry.