A new exhibition titled "Motherboards" at the San Jose Museum of Art highlights the overlooked contributions of women to the technologies that shape modern life. The show features digital artists from California and beyond, including Rhonda Holberton and Sarah Buckius, whose works draw connections between Silicon Valley's laboratories and the generations of labor women have performed in factories, offices, and homes. Holberton's piece incorporates a 3D-printed plum branch and Ada Lovelace's algorithm, while Buckius's digital collages include early technology patents filed by women.
The exhibition matters because it challenges the historical erasure of women's roles in computing and technology, bridging the perceived gap between art and technology. By placing women's labor—from early human computers to contemporary digital artists—at the center of the narrative, the show reframes the story of innovation in Silicon Valley and beyond. It also underscores the ongoing relevance of feminist perspectives in art and technology discourse.