Inaugural International Generative Art Conference at Politecnico di Milano University

For the purposes of this Timeline, this event stands as tremendously more important than perhaps it should on first glance, as it marks the transition to the usage of the term of “generative art” as we understand and use it today. Previously, the movement was much more frequently called computer or algorithmic art. This is conference is an important step in the transition to and popularization of the term “generative art.”

Milan hosted said inaugural Generative Art conference, spearheaded by Celestino Soddu with Enrica Colabella. The event, which continues to this day, convened architects, mathematicians, poets and artists, uniting diverse disciplines under the banner of generative design. With discussions ranging from universal visual grammar to digital art, the conference aimed to spark enthusiasm for the generative process as understood in a more general way. This broader understanding of the generative is what makes the conference important. Soddu explains in the proceedings introduction:

“The Generative Art is a way to think and to design. Following this approach we can find, united by the same enthusiasm, architects and mathematicians, poets and musicians, physicists and semiothics, philosophers and painters, engineers and designers.”

Soddu and collaborators envision an annual gathering to further explore this interdisciplinary frontier. The conference proceedings, published with unique covers, mark a milestone in the evolution of generative art, affirming its status as a vibrant field of creative inquiry.