Vision
Atelier Arth
Atelier Arth is a place for reflecting on the relationship between space technology and society, and how to bridge the growing divide between the two.
Philosophy
Any technological application needs to be designed keeping in mind the end-user. Rural populations especially introduce social and cultural challenges, which cannot be overlooked when implementing a complicated albeit well-meaning technological system.
Arth comes from Sanskrit, which means “sense”.
Arth is both Earth and Art.
Understanding the logo
Atelier Arth's logo is inspired by the Assamese letter for the sound "a" : অ
In one sweeping motion, the idea portrayed is to preserve our Earth, our one home planet, by working in harmony with nature, of which we are a part, as humanity embarks on a fresh journey towards the furthest reaches of our universe.
About the Founder
Dr. Priyanka Das Rajkakati is an Indian-born French space scientist and artist. Working at the intersection of art, science and society, she is focused on actionable sustainability (and diversity) practices in the space industry. Currently, she directs the WHYLD project at vorteX-io.
One of her demonstrative art-tech projects titled Bhedadipika, spent a year on board the International Space Station in 2022, as part of the Moon Gallery project. Her next artwork for her RiVeins initiative has found itself a place onboard the Firefly Blue Ghost Lunar Lander, via the LunARC DAO project.
Hailing ethnically from the northeast Indian state of Assam, she grew up in Delhi where she obtained a bachelor’s in Physics from St. Stephen's College. Then she moved to France at age 21 to explore new horizons and cultures, while studying Engineering at Ecole-Polytechnique and finishing with a CIFRE Ph.D. on GNSS positioning from ISAE-Supaéro and Safran.
Her work has drawn inspiration from her Assamese roots and her travels across 6 continents including Antarctica. She has won numerous awards such Forbes India 30 under 30, ‘50 Years of Women at Polytechnique’, the Karman Fellowship, India Today’s list of Next 100 Innovators under 40, and is an Alumni Ambassador of the Embassy of France in India.
