Toledo Museum of Art Presents Infinite Images: The Art of Algorithms Exploring Generative Art From Conceptual Systems to Code
Opening July 12, this landmark exhibition investigates rule-based approaches to artmaking from the 1960s to today, positioning early conceptual and systematic practices by artists like Vera Molnár and Sol LeWitt, alongside contemporary generative works by Dmitri Cherniak, Tyler Hobbs, and Operator, with loans from the Alan Howard Collection, complemented by loans from the Kanbas Collection and the Toledo Museum of Art.
(L): Josef Albers (American, 1888-1976), Homage to the Square: Soft Edge–Hard Edge. 10 color screenprint on white woven paper, 1965. Page dimensions 17 x 17 in. Courtesy of Toledo Museum of Art
(R): Tyler Hobbs (American, b. 1987), Fidenza #857. NFT, 2021. Dimensions variable. Courtesy of the artist.
Toledo, OH – June 2, 2025 – Opening July 12 at the Toledo Museum of Art (TMA), Infinite Images: The Art of Algorithms is a far-reaching investigation into how artists have employed rule-based systems and automation, from hand-drawn geometric abstraction to generative code, to structure visual language across decades of evolving technology. Curated by digital art expert Julia Kaganskiy, the exhibition features 24 artists whose works span more than six decades, from Josef Albers (1888–1976) and Vera Molnár (1924–2023) to Sarah Meyohas (b.1991) and Casey Reas (b. 1972). The exhibition will remain on view through November 30, 2025.
Early landmark works such as Molnár’s Interruptions (1968) and Albers’ Homage to the Square: Soft Edge–Hard Edge (1965) are placed in context with recent works by Operator and Tyler Hobbs, illuminating shared strategies of structure, repetition, and chance. With loans from the Alan Howard Collection, complemented by works from the Kanbas Collection and the Toledo Museum of Art, Infinite Images marks a significant curatorial moment in placing generative and digital art within the broader continuum of art history.
Curator Julia Kaganskiy comments, “Generative art has risen to prominence in recent years thanks, in part, to innovations introduced by blockchain technologies as well as generative AI. This exhibition considers the long lineage of generative and algorithmic strategies in artmaking, as well as the shifting definition of generative practice and how artists work with rules, chance, emergence and automation.”
Infinite Images represents a curatorial milestone for the Toledo Museum of Art, demonstrating the institution’s commitment to championing the art of the digital age. For many of the participating artists, including Deafbeef, Tyler Hobbs, Zach Lieberman, Sarah Meyohas, Entangled Others, Operator, Quayola, Anna Ridler, Monica Rizzoli, Snowfro, Sam Spratt, and Emily Xie, this exhibition marks their first presentation in a major U.S. museum. Their works are exhibited in conversation with key figures from earlier generations whose practices were rooted in systems-based and conceptual approaches, including Anni and Josef Albers, Max Bill, Sol LeWitt, and Vera Molnár, bridging analog and digital methodologies across time.
“Digital art is a natural evolution of the creative tools artists have always embraced. Throughout history – artists like the pioneer in generative art Vera Molnár in the 1960s – have gravitated toward new media, from oil paint to photography, to expand their expressive potential,” says Alan Howard. He continues, “digital art continues this lineage, not in competition with traditional media, but in dialogue with it. This exhibition serves as an opportunity to experience firsthand how digital art resonates within the broader continuum of artistic expression.”
Infinite Images: The Art of Algorithms is divided into four chapters, each building upon the previous section to establish a clear visual and intellectual story for museum visitors:“The Imaginary Machine” introduces generative art and connects it to other 20th-century avant-garde movements, including conceptual art, geometric abstraction, and concrete art through the work of the pioneering digital artist Vera Molnár.Vera Molnár’s Interruptions (1968) is one of the first series of generative drawings created by the artist with the aid of a computer and plotting machine, a type of early mechanical printer. Working algorithmically by hand since 1959, this series represents the first time Molnár was able to translate her analog algorithmic process—her “imaginary machine”—to a real computer, allowing her to work with greater complexity and speed.“Chance and Control” dives into the role of randomness in generative systems, surveying how digital artists engage with the unknown.Autoglyphs (2019) by Larva Labs is a series of 512 unique drawings of intricate, text-based geometric patterns. This series represents the first generative work where the code used to produce the image is stored directly on the Ethereum blockchain. Each image was generated at the moment that it was collected (minted). During this exhibition, a Bantam Tools ArtFrame1824 plotter will continuously draw a selection of ten Autoglyphs each day. TMA members can claim these prints for free on a first-come, first-served basis.“Digital Materiality” showcases how artists exploit the distinct material properties of digital media and computation, embracing simulation and interactivity.The artist 0xDeafbeef created a custom interactive sculpture based on his 2021 series Glitchbox (2021/2025) for this exhibition. Drawing on his skills as a blacksmith, computer programmer, and electrical engineer, he has given his virtual audiovisual instrument a physical form resembling a modular synthesizer. Inviting visitors to explore the work’s algorithmic parameters using levers and knobs, he gives a tactile, sensory nature to the digital work.“Coded Nature” highlights how generative artworks mirror nature’s own generative processes, such as emergence and evolution, and how digital artists use (and misuse) these models to provide a new lens on the natural world.Earthly Delights 3.2 is part of a series of generative software works created by Casey Reas as a meditation on patterns found in nature and the evolution of experimental cinema in the digital age. The work is created using a custom GAN (generative adversarial network) and a dataset of foraged plants. The generative software creates a nonlinear cinematic sequence by continuously rearranging fixed frames so that Earthly Delights exists in perpetual evolution. Visitors will never see the same arrangement twice.“With Infinite Images, the Toledo Museum of Art affirms its commitment to presenting bold, forward-looking exhibitions that expand our understanding of what art is and can be,” said Adam Levine, Edward Drummond and Florence Scott Libbey President, Director and CEO of TMA. “This show honors the legacy of conceptual and systems-based artists while spotlighting contemporary digital work that gestures to a future that includes these new art-making practices.”
Exhibition Artists
Infinite Images artists include: Anni Albers, Josef Albers, Max Bill, Dmitri Cherniak, Sofia Crespo, Deafbeef, Entangled Others, Tyler Hobbs, Larva Labs, Sol Lewitt, Zach Lieberman, LoVid, William Mapan, Sarah Meyohas, Vera Molnár, Operator, Quayola, Casey Reas, Anna Ridler, Monica Rizzoli, Sam Spratt, Snowfro, Jared Tarbell, and Emily Xie.
Sponsors
With loans from the Alan Howard Collection, complemented by works from the Kanbas Collection and the Toledo Museum of Art, Infinite Images: The Art of Algorithms is made possible by Presenting Sponsors Susan and Tom Palmer, Season SponsorsTaylor Automotive Family and Blackdove, and additional support from the Ohio Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts.
This release was written by a human with support from AI and has been fact-checked for accuracy.
About Toledo Museum of Art
Recently named the 2025 Best Art Museum in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, the Toledo Museum of Art (TMA) is a beloved cultural institution in Toledo, Ohio, and a global leader in the museum field. Established in 1901, its renowned collection features over 25,000 works, ranging from antiquity to contemporary art, and includes one of the finest collections of glass in the world. In addition, TMA became the first major cultural institution to use cryptocurrency to purchase a work (Abyssinian Queen by Yatreda ያጥሬዳ) for its collection in November 2024. Situated on a 40-acre campus, TMA integrates art into people’s lives through its world-class collection, engaging exhibitions, robust educational programs, and community outreach.
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About Julia Kaganskiy
Julia Kaganskiy is an independent curator based in New York City. She has been working at the forefront of art and technology since 2008 as a curator, editor, and cultural strategist. She was the founding director of NEW INC at the New Museum, the first museum-led incubator for art, design and technology. She has conceived and organized exhibitions for HEK (Basel), LAS Art Foundation (Berlin), Matadero Madrid (Madrid), 180 the Strand (London), Borusan Contemporary (Istanbul), Science Gallery (Dublin), Eyebeam (New York City) and many others. www.juliakaganskiy.com
About Studio TheGreenEyl
Exhibition and visual identity design for Infinite Images: The Art of Algorithms is led by Studio TheGreenEyl under the creative direction of Richard The. TheGreenEyl is a design and research practice based in Berlin and New York. They create exhibitions, installations, objects, images, interactions and algorithms. TheGreenEyl was founded in 2009 by Richard The, Gunnar Green, Frédéric Eyl, Willy Sengewald and Dominik Schumacher and has since worked internationally with partners from culture, industry and research. Their work has been exhibited at the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale, MoMA New York, The Kennedy Center, Ars Electronica, NewInc at the New Museum, Design Museum London, and 21_21 Design Sight Tokyo. www.thegreeneyl.com
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