The Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas at Austin has opened a new exhibition titled 'Coded: Art Enters the Computer Age, 1952–1982.' The show features over 100 works by 75 artists who used computers, algorithms, and data as creative tools, exploring the intersection of art and technology during a pivotal three-decade period.
The exhibition matters because it reframes the historical narrative of digital art, positioning its origins decades earlier than commonly assumed. It highlights how artists grappled with the implications of new technology, questioning authorship, creativity, and the role of the artist in a mechanized process. The show provides crucial context for today's discussions about AI-generated art, demonstrating that contemporary debates have deep roots in artistic practice.