On October 17th, the exhibition “Interthinking” opened at the Budapest Art Factory, curated by Kate Vass Galerie. The show celebrates Hungarian cultural heritage and the impact of Hungarian artists on the international generative art scene.

The title “Interthinking” is inspired by a concept from György Kepes that emphasizes collaboration between humans and technology and the dynamic relationship between art and science. The exhibition honors Hungarian artists like László Moholy-Nagy, Victor Vasarely, Nicolas Schöffer, György Kepes, Vera Molnár, Brassaï, and André Kertész, who integrated technology into their work, shaping new directions and inspiring the conceptual foundation of the generative and AI art field. Visitors can explore the art of these pioneers through documentary films and artworks. The artworks were lent by Ferenc Offenbacher, founder and director of the Kepes Institute. 

In addition to Hungarian artists, the show features works by seven international contemporary generative talents, including Iskra Velitchkova, Marcelo Soria-Rodríguez, Kevin Abosch, Mario Klingemann, Studio u2p050, Laura Rautjoki, and Julien Gachadoat. Each piece was created specifically for this exhibition and reflects on the themes and breakthroughs of these Hungarian masters. By presenting pioneering Hungarian and contemporary works side by side, “Interthinking” establishes a visual dialogue between past and present art. 

This exhibition not only honors the greats of the past but also provides insights into the world of generative art. Art and science have always shared a symbolic relationship. Artists have long used technological advancements for creative expression, from the use of the camera obscura in the Renaissance to photography in the late 19th century. The rise of digital technology in the 20th century opened new directions for art, inspiring numerous movements, including generative art.

Generative art emerged in the 1960s, when creators began to use autonomous systems like computer programs and algorithms for artistic expression. At that time, computers were enormous, costly machines, accessible only in large corporations or universities. As a result, artists often collaborated with these institutions and the scientists working there. A defining feature of this movement is that artists establish a predetermined set of rules, using the computer as a tool to execute these instructions. Chance also plays a significant role in the creative process, as the computer generates multiple variations based on these rules, allowing the artist to select the final composition. Technological advancements, such as FORTRAN—one of the first programming languages enabling complex mathematical calculations—and the spread of plotter machines, which used mechanical arms to draw compositions on paper, were crucial to the development of early generative art. Artistic movements also played a significant role: geometric abstraction, the interdisciplinary approach of the Bauhaus, and the rule-based methods of Op Art all helped pave the way for computer-generated art. The Dada movement, with its innovative use of materials and focus on chance, along with conceptual art—particularly Sol LeWitt's wall drawings—directly inspired the principles of the movement. 

The work of many Hungarian artists also laid the groundwork and provided direct inspiration for the emergence of this art form, continuing to influence contemporary creators today.

László Moholy-Nagy was a pioneer in bridging technology and art, especially through his explorations with light-shadow effects and kinetic sculpture. His early works, including photograms, caught the attention of Walter Gropius, the founder of the Bauhaus, who invited him in 1923 to lead the school’s Metal Workshop. The Bauhaus provided an ideal environment for Moholy-Nagy to experiment with new techniques and materials, integrating modern technology and industrial methods with the visual arts. Here, he created one of his most famous works, the “Light-Space Modulator”, a kinetic sculpture made of metal and glass that produced patterns through the dynamic play of light and shadow. Later, as the leader of the New Bauhaus school in Chicago, he inspired many students to explore emerging technologies, media, and innovative methods.

In this exhibition, the Spanish generative artist Marcelo Soria-Rodríguez presents an interactive piece that draws on Moholy-Nagy’s key ideas— his studies of light and the modulation of space. His work, titled “identity space through light and three layers: a digital/analog study”, was inspired by Moholy-Nagy’s 1926 “Photogram Mondgesicht” and the “Light-Space Modulator”.

Another Hungarian artist, György Kepes, was also influenced by the Bauhaus’s interdisciplinary theories. In 1937, at Moholy-Nagy’s invitation, he moved to Chicago, where he became the head of the Light and Color Department at the New Bauhaus school. Light was central to his art, serving not just as a medium but also as a symbol of knowledge and modern civilization. Kepes produced numerous photograms and light sculptures and wrote on the symbolic and scientific significance of this visual phenomenon. In 1967, he founded the Center for Advanced Visual Studies at MIT, where he encouraged collaboration between scientists and artists to create new forms of art using technology. Many artists in the fields of generative and new media art worked and studied there. American conceptual artist Kevin Abosch also encountered Kepes’s work at MIT, and in this show, he pays tribute to Kepes’s studies of light and shadow with his AI-generated piece, “Shadow Study”.

Although Victor Vasarely did not use computers, his methods anticipated techniques applied in generative art. He began his art studies at Sándor Bortnyik's Műhely, which was heavily influenced by Bauhaus theory, and this experimental approach is evident in Vasarely’s work. His early pieces used black-and-white geometric shapes to create optical illusions, later, he introduced color, using contrasts between warm and cool tones along with repeated geometric forms to evoke a sense of movement and depth. Vasarely developed a unique visual language based on fundamental geometric shapes and a limited color palette, which he varied according to predefined rules. This systematic, rule-based approach foreshadowed the foundational principles of generative art. 

In her “Figures” series, contemporary Bulgarian artist Iskra Velitchkova modernizes Vasarely’s rule-based methods. While the Hungarian master created his geometric works by hand, Velitchkova uses algorithms to generate her compositions, exploring new variations of forms and patterns and refreshing the visual language that characterizes both of their works.

Nicolas Schöffer was one of the first artists to incorporate robots and machines into his creations. He was heavily influenced by Norbert Wiener’s theory of cybernetics, which examines control, communication, and feedback processes within complex systems, including machines, living organisms, and organizations. This inspired Schöffer to merge scientific research with art. He created cybernetic sculptures that continuously responded to environmental stimuli, equipping his works with sensors and both mechanical and electronic systems that detected changes in the environment, such as light, wind, or temperature. As a result, his creations were in constant motion and transformation. In the “Interthinking” exhibition, the French creative studio Studio u2p050 reflects on Schöffer’s work and cybernetic theory with an installation titled “Action｜Reaction”. This piece explores how technology controls and shapes our modern world.

Vera Molnár pioneered the use of computers and algorithms in art. As early as the 1950s, she developed her concept of the "machine imaginaire", envisioning how computers could be used to create art even before she had access to such tools. From the 1960s onward, alongside other early generative artists, she began using computers to produce geometric compositions. Chance played a significant role in her work, which she incorporated through her “1% disorder” concept, deliberately introducing slight variations, such as altering line thickness or colors, to add unpredictability to the orderly, computer-generated structures.

Vera Molnár passed away at the end of last year, but one of her final projects was a collaboration with contemporary French generative artist Julien Gachadoat. Together, they explored the theme of randomness, using the roll of a die to determine the shapes and lines the plotter would draw on paper.

The exhibition also pays tribute to the work of two renowned Hungarian photographers, Brassaï and André Kertész. Their art influenced not only traditional photography but also, indirectly, the field of AI-generated art. Both artists often used elements of our world to create surreal compositions, presenting an alternative view of the reality. This perspective connects closely with AI art, which builds on the distortion and reshaping of the visible world. While AI art began to take shape in the 1970s, it has only gained popularity in recent decades with advancements in machine learning and neural networks. This art form draws from life but transforms its elements into surreal or abstract forms, reinterpreting and reshaping the objective world.

Finnish artist Laura Rautjoki’s work “Reflections of Madame Bijou” reflects on the subject of Brassaï’s famous photograph. Using AI, she reinterprets the female figure, removing stereotypes and the influence of the male gaze, thus liberating the representation from traditional frameworks. Mario Klingemann, a pioneer of AI art, draws inspiration from André Kertész’s “Distortions” series in his work “Involution”. While Kertész used mirrors to distort his models, Klingemann employs AI to create abstract, distorted forms, showcasing the boundless possibilities of this technology. 

The “Interthinking” exhibition is open at the Budapest Art Factory until mid-January 2025. Advance booking is recommended.