Stories of generative art as seen through Rhizome’s archives.
“The artist creates a system, typically a piece of software, which is either used to create a work of art or constitutes a work of art in itself.” – Marius Watz
Generative art today is associated with artworks that use code as a creative medium, often to create abstract imagery and dynamic visual effects. This way of working has a long history–arguably, one that predates the computer itself. Artists who use chance and instruction-based operations, ranging from a roll of the dice to a reading of the I ching, may be considered generative, but the term has gained particular importance with the rise of digital culture, and the popularity of generative NFTs.
Post by Mark Tribe in 1996 on Rhizome’s email list. Courtesy of Rhizome.
Rhizome, which was founded by artist Mark Tribe in 1996 as an email list, has long aimed to support the past, present, and future of digital art in all its forms. They support new works and experimentation, as well as archive and restore born-digital works with the expertise and tools of a renowned digital preservation team.
In this website, Rhizome shares stories of generative art as seen through their archives, as part of a partnership with TRLab. This is a starting point for a larger effort to support Rhizome’s future archival and commissioning efforts in the field of generative art.