Manfred Mohr. Excursion N-Harmonique

A look at his generative work since 1969

Born in 1938 in Pforzheim, Germany, and currently residing and working in New York, USA, Mohr’s years living in Paris from 1963 to 1983, laid the groundwork and the realization of his artistic thinking, still omnipresent in his work. Transitioning slowly from abstract expressionism to computer-generated algorithmic geometry, Mohr’s artistic trajectory was catalyzed by his encounter with the French computer music composer Pierre Barbaud that led Mohr to realize his first computer generated drawings in 1969. In early 1970, he got access to the French National Meteorologi-cal Institute in Paris where he was allowed to use their large computer and high-resolution flat-bed ink pen plotter outside their regular working hours. At this institute he was able to realize his computer-generated art for the next thirteen years, laying the foundations of his digital art, which culminated in a historic solo exhibition at ARC - Musée d’Art Moderne de la ville de Paris, in May 1971. These explorations, which had already begun during the 1960s, positioned Mohr as a pioneer of algorithmic art.

Since 1987 through his career, Mohr has had a number of retrospectives in museums, including Wilhelm Hack, ZKM, Quadrat Josef Albers and Kunsthalle Bremen. He is represented in many collections such as Centre Pompi-dou Paris, Whitney Museum New York, ZKM Karlsruhe. He’s been in many important group shows at MOMA New York 1980, New Tendencies 5 Zagreb 1973, Construction in Process Lodz 1981 to name a few.

Today, Mohr stands as an example of the evolution of contemporary art, driven by technological and scientific discoveries, embodying a singular spirit fueled by curiosity and an unwavering connection to a diverse, still ongoing, artistic practice.

Opening Tuesday, October 15, 2024. 6-9 PM