Toledo Museum of Art
The Toledo Museum of Art is a beloved cultural institution in Toledo, Ohio and a global leader in the museum field. We believe that art transforms people’s lives and invites them to see differently.
At TMA, we live our values so that we can authentically execute our vision and achieve our mission.
Mission
Through our collection and programs, we strive to integrate art into the lives of people.
Vision
The Toledo Museum of Art will become the model art museum in the United States for its commitment to quality and its culture of belonging.
Values
Community: We exist to serve our community with and through the highest quality art.
Diversity: Diverse ideas emerge from a diverse team and engage diverse audiences.
Innovation: We seek to innovate for our community and for our field.
Trust: We steward our collection in the public trust and must guard the confidence placed in us.
People & Culture
At TMA, we believe It is important for organizations to proactively create and maintain a strong culture and cultivate a positive environment that values open communication, transparency, fairness, and employee well-being. We do not only seek to be the model museum, we seek to inspire industries everywhere to embark on this journey of creating strong cultures that promote belonging.
Reinstallation
We are undergoing our first full gallery reinstallation in over 40 years, preserving historic spaces while reimagining the visitor experience. The redesigned galleries will present a more inclusive, connected history of art, featuring innovative displays, technological enhancements, and essential facility upgrades. Learn more about this transformative project and what’s to come.
History
The Toledo Museum of Art was established in 1901 to share the transformative power of art with the community. More than 30,000 artworks are housed in architecturally significant buildings on our 37-acre campus. Innovative and extensive education programs offer a variety of multi-sensory experiences for every visitor. Thanks to the generous spirit of the museum’s founders and the continued support of members, we remain a privately endowed, non-profit institution. Our collection is open to the public, free of charge.
Artists have long used instructions and rule-based systems to produce their work, from thirteenth century Islamic geometric tiles to twentieth century avant-garde movements. Infinite Images: The Art of Algorithms reveals how some contemporary artists use mathematical principles, chance, and automation to design and work with generative systems. In generative art, the artist creates a system to produce the artwork—perhaps written instructions for others to follow or a computer program. In the process they give up some control over the end result. The artist creates the rules, and the system generates the outcomes. This approach, whether analog or digital, enables the artist to experiment with multiple variations within a set of defined constraints, often yielding unexpected results.
At a time when our world is increasingly shaped by algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI)-generated media, this exhibition takes us back to computer art’s beginnings in the 1960s and takes a closer look at the recent wave of generative art that has emerged over the last decade. Whether generated with simple algorithms rooted in fundamental mathematical functions or complex custom computer software, the digital artworks assembled here expose the foundational processes that underlie computer-generated imagery. Along the way, we explore what distinguishes computer-generated art from other media.
We hope this exhibition gives you an accessible entry point into understanding and appreciating the many ways artists use generative systems and how this process challenges long-held beliefs about creativity, authorship, craft, and the perceived superiority of the physical art object.
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 Molnar, Operator, Quayola, Sam Spratt, Snowfro, Casey Reas, Anna Ridler, Monica Rizzoli, Jared Tarbell, and Emily Xie.
Infinite Images: The Art of Algorithms is organized by the Toledo Museum of Art and curated by Julia Kaganskiy, an independent curator specializing in digital art and new media.
The exhibition design and visual identity for Infinite Images are led by Richard The and Studio TheGreenEyl.
Exhibition Artists:
Anni Albers
Josef Albers
Max Bill
Dmitri Cherniak
Sofia Crespo & Anna Ridler
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Entangled Others
Matt Hall, Larva Labs
Tyler Hobbs
Sol LeWitt
Zachary Lieberman
LoVid
William Mapan
Sarah Meyohas
Vera Molnár
Operator
Quayola
Casey REAS
Monica Rizzoli
Snowfro
Sam Spratt
Jared Tarbell
John Watkinson, Larva Labs
Emily Xie
