7 Kensington Mall, London W8 4EB
Opening Reception: Thursday 21 November 6:30-9:00pm
Opening Hours: Friday - Wednesday 22 - 27 November 12-6pm
Finissage: Wednesday 27 November 6 - 9 PM | Plotter Performance Preview of Bantam Tools ArtFrame Art Machine System (developed for the Harold Cohen: AARON at the Whitney Museum of American Art)
Nguyen Wahed together with DAM Projects is pleased to present Programmed Expressionism, with works by Manfred Mohr, Vera Molnar, Georg Nees, Frieder Nake, Harold Cohen, Mark Wilson, Casey Reas, and the collaboration of Vera Molnar and aurèce vettier. The exhibition examines the pivotal role of computer-generated art in the latter half of the 20th century, featuring artists, spanning from the 1960s to the present, who have been instrumental in establishing computational processes as a means of artistic creation and inquiry.
The term "programmed expressionism," dubbed by Manfred Mohr, serves as a conceptual framework for the exhibition. It encapsulates the tension between algorithmic precision and artistic expression that characterises much of the work on display. In an interview for the Guardian, Mohr's assertion that "The most important part of art is innovation" underscores the pioneering spirit of these artists, each of whom has expanded the boundaries of artistic practice through technological means.
Tracing the evolution of computer art from early plotter drawings to complex generative systems, the exhibition highlights how these artists have interrogated notions of authorship, aesthetics, and the nature of creativity itself.
Programmed Expressionism showcases a focused examination of key figures who shaped the field of computer-generated art. Through a curated selection of seminal works, it provides insight into the technological, philosophical, and aesthetic propositions that have driven this innovative art form over the past six decades.