Laurence Gartel: From Digital Pioneer to Robotic Painter at History Fort Lauderdale

exhibition · 2026-07-01

The History Fort Lauderdale Museum is showcasing an exhibition dedicated to Laurence Gartel, who has significantly influenced digital art over the past five decades. At a young age, Gartel's creations were recognized by prestigious institutions, including the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Notably, in 1985, he connected Andy Warhol with the Commodore Amiga, prompting Warhol's digital reinterpretation of Debbie Harry. The artist received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998 from Austrian Chancellor Viktor Klima. Recently, Gartel partnered with Robohood to create robotic art, featured in a new book about AI and robotics, published in three languages.

Key facts

Laurence Gartel is known as the 'Father of Digital Art'.
His work entered the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris when he was 22.
MoMA NY acquired his work by age 25.
In 1985, he introduced Andy Warhol to the Commodore Amiga computer.
He delivered the keynote at the First Pan Pacific Computer Conference in Melbourne, Australia, in 1985.
In 1998, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Austrian Chancellor Viktor Klima.
The monograph 'GARTEL: Arte e Tecnologia' was published in 1998 by Edizioni Mazzotta.
He collaborated with Robohood to create robotic paintings exhibited in Forges-Les-Eaux, France, in September 2025.
The exhibition at History Fort Lauderdale Museum features a portrait of George Washington for America's 250th Anniversary.

Entities

Artists

Institutions

History Fort Lauderdale Museum
Bibliothèque Nationale
Museum of Modern Art
Commodore
Nikkei Computer Magazine
Editions of Art Fair
Edizioni Mazzotta
Robohood
ConstantLifeAI

Locations

Fort Lauderdale
United States
Paris
France
New York
Japan
Melbourne
Australia
Innsbruck
Austria
Milan
Italy
St. Petersburg
Florida
Forges-Les-Eaux

Sources

Miami Art Scene — 2026-07-01