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GENERATIVE ABSTRACTION AND BEYOND | GALLERY

20-29 JANUARY 2023 | BERLIN

Verse x EXPANDED.ART

The exhibition GENERATIVE ABSTRACTION AND BEYOND curated by Verse (Leyla Fakhr) and EXPANDED.ART (Anika Meier) aims to define a point in history where a network of artists are generating abstract works with algorithms and codes. Artists employing formal ideas of abstraction in their codes and algorithms are pioneering compositions that take generative art to new horizons.

The origins of abstract art are debated, with some tracing its roots to ancient Islamic art and others locating its beginnings in the early 20th century Western art movement. During the years leading up to World War I, artists such as Delaunay, Kandinsky, Malevich, and Tatlin embraced abstraction in their practice. While Kandinsky is often credited as the first artist to create purely abstract, non-representational paintings, his work was later challenged by the abstract art of Swedish artist Hilma af Klint, whose focus on spirituality differed from Kandinsky's logical theories. The emergence of the de Stijl group in the Netherlands and the Dada group in Switzerland further expanded the spectrum of abstract art, leading to what some consider the two golden eras of the movement: 1912-1925 and 1947-1970.

Since the late 1950s, a group of artists have been utilising algorithmic procedures to create art. Early pioneers in this field include Herbert W. Franke and Vera Molnar, whose works are featured in this exhibition. In recent years, there has been an eruption of abstract works within the digital realm, where artists are increasingly employing code to create generative works. This has led to the emergence of a new, vibrant movement and community that has yet to be fully explored within the broader context of art history.

Artists are using algorithms and codes to create formal ideas of abstraction in their compositions, pushing the boundaries of the movement and inviting viewers to appreciate the works for their aesthetic effects and compositions alone. This experience is similar to the enjoyment of music, where pure patterns of form, color, and line create a powerful impact.

By exploring the intersection of art and technology through the works of these innovative artists, GENERATIVE ABSTRACTION AND BEYOND invites the viewer to consider the ways in which these fields interact and influence one another.

ARTISTS: Herbert W. Franke, Lee Mullican, Heinrich Heidersberger, Anna Lucia, Kim Asendorf, Banz & Bowinkel, Anna Carreras, Anna Beller, Ira Greenberg, Iskra Velitchkova, Jonas Lund, Leander Herzog & Richard Nadler, Aaron Penne, Lisa Orth, Marcel Schwittlick, Manuel Rossner, Ivona Tau, Julien Espagnon, Damjanski, and Olga Fradina.

OPENING: 20 January | 6-9 PM CET | EXPANDED.ART | Friedrichstraße 67 | Berlin
The artists Richard Nadler, Anna Beller, Manuel Rossner, Banz & Bowinkel, and Marcel Schwittlick will be present.

CRYPTO ART SALON BERLIN: 29 January 6-9 PM CET | EXPANDED.ART | Friedrichstraße 67, Berlin
Anika Meier in conversation with Kim Asendorf and Leander Herzog on the past and present of generative art on the blockchain.

In collaboration with Verse.

NFT RELEASE SCHEDULE
The NFTs will be minted on Ethereum and will be available to collect on Verse. The artists will release 1/1s, limited and open editions, and long-form generative art projects. Prints, paintings and drawings will be available on EXPANDED.ART.


20 JANUARY | 6PM CET | 12PM ET | 9AM PT
Manuel Rossner, Leander Herzog & Richard Nadler (fxhash, Tezos)

20 JANUARY | 7PM CET | 1AM ET | 10AM PT
Anna Beller, Ivona Tau, Lee Mullican

23 JANUARY | 7PM CET | 1PM ET | 10AM PT
Ira Greenberg, Olga Fradina, Lisa Orth, Julien Espagnon

24-25 JANUARY | 9-9PM CET | 3PM ET | 12PM PT
AUCTION: Aaron Penne

24 JANUARY | 7PM CET | 1PM ET | 10AM PT
DUTCH AUCTION: Anna Carreras

25 JANUARY | 7PM CET | 1PM ET | 10AM PT
DUTCH AUCTION: Anna Lucia

Lee Mullican, Spiral Figure.
Aaron Penne, Searching Still [Mountain], 2023.
Anna Carreras, Discs, 2023.
Iskra Velitchkova, The Bite of the Snake, 2022.
Damjanski, Never Not in Rio, 2023.
Anna Lucia, Patched Paradise, 2023.
Kim Asendorf, 072 00 (Detail), 2022.
Leander Herzog & Richard Nadler, Richter (Detail), 2023.
Lisa Orth, Soft Waking, 2023.
Olga Fradina, Lithograph, 2023.
Anna Beller, Lacquer Shapes‘, 2023.
Heinrich Heidersberger, #3782_182b Rhythmogramm, ca. 1956.
Ira Greenberg, ProtoNematode0.1, 2023.
Julien Espagnon, Stella Nova, 2023.
Banz & Bowinkel, Bodypaint V 28, 2020.
Manuel Rossner, Wires, 2023.