Algorithmic Signs: Computer Art Pioneers at Bevilacqua La Masa, Venice

Curated by Francesca Franco, the exhibition 'Algorithmic Signs' at Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa in Venice explores the origins and legacy of computer art through the work of five pioneers: Ernest Edmonds, Manfred Mohr, Vera Molnár, Frieder Nake, and Roman Verostko. The show traces generative art from its 1960s roots—citing Bruno Munari and Giorgio Soavi's 1962 'Arte programmata' at the Olivetti store in Milan—to its 1980s development, influenced by Max Bense's 'Information Aesthetics'. Venice was chosen for its historical link: the 1970 Biennale marked computer art's Italian debut, and Nake's 'Matrix Multiplication' from that event is on view. Franco, a Venice native who studied art history there before moving to London and Cambridge, sees the exhibition as a chance to stimulate dialogue on computation's role in contemporary art. The works, created with plotters and computers, dialogue with Russian Constructivist geometry and digital languages, presenting algorithms as constructive tools. Franco notes that computer art has faced skepticism from institutions, similar to photography, due to its challenge to uniqueness. The show also highlights musical influences: Mohr began as a jazz saxophonist, and Edmonds collaborated with electronic composer Mark Fell. Franco hopes to broaden public understanding of computer art in Italy, a country with a strong avant-garde tradition.