Thinking Machines: Art and Design in the Computer Age, 1959–1989 at MoMA

The exhibition, along with Open Codes at ZKM, indicated renewed institutional interest in computer-generated art prior to the impact of NFTs. Curated by MoMA’s Sean Anderson and Giampaolo Bianconi, the exhibition celebrated the role of computers and computation in art. It examined the period from the earliest computer art in the late '50s to the dawn of the Internet in the late '80s. The exhibition mostly drew upon previous machine-centered exhibitions, including ones already mentioned in this Timeline: -The Machine as Seen at the End of the Mechanical Age (MoMA, 1968) -Information (MoMA, 1970) -Software (The Jewish Museum, 1970) While broader overviews of machines had been given, the contribution of thinking machines (or computers) had yet to be properly included in the art historical narrative. The exhibition showcased more than 100 works from all six curatorial departments, highlighting the paradigmatic impact of computers on postwar art, architecture and design. Drawn largely from MoMA’s existing collection, it featured pioneering artists and designers like Beryl Korot, Alison Knowles, Vera Molnár, and John Cage, illustrating the integration of computing, systems and randomness into artistic production. The exhibition also traced the history of computer technology’s role in reshaping work, society and aesthetic hierarchies, emphasizing the lasting influence of early computational thinking. The show also draws historical linkages to kinetic art, prominently featured in the exhibit. Despite being decades overdue, the exhibition provided computer art practitioners with acknowledgement and recognition for their important contributions. While the exhibition lacked a more comprehensive overview, some of the earliest and most celebrated computer artists were featured. These included Vera Molnár, Charles Csuri and Waldemar Cordeiro. This exhibition serves as a reminder of how long institutional interest took to arrive for some artists; conversely, it also demonstrated that interest in historical computer-generated art appeared prior to the success of NFTs.