Calculations and Coincidences is a refreshing, well curated exhibition that offers a captivating glimpse into the world of algorithmic art through the lens of three pioneering Hungarian women: Dóra Maurer, Vera Molnár, and Gizella Rákóczy. In collaboration with the Hungarian National Bank Collection, this exhibition features works from the early 1960s to the early 2000s, yet their relevance and visual language feel astonishingly contemporary.
The show is a visual delight, where the boundaries of mathematics and art beautifully intersect. From Molnár’s groundbreaking exploration of computer art to Maurer’s meticulous, system-based approach and Rákóczy’s geometric abstractions, the show highlights how these artists expanded the possibilities of abstraction and algorithmic thinking. Their works push the limits of traditional art, using systems, randomness, and patterns to question and redefine the relationship between chaos and order.
A personal favorite is Rákóczy’s 4 Color Maze (2005), a subtle yet engaging watercolor composition, featuring soft pastel tones of blue, yellow, pink, and green. The composition begins at the empty square in the center, from which each color flows outward, emerging from the corners of the white space. With a single, uninterrupted brushstroke, Rákóczy traces the forms, never lifting her brush, allowing the colors to weave seamlessly into one another in a continuous dialogue. This piece stems from her research into the four-armed spiral, which she delved into further after discovering, during a 1976 visit to the British Isles, that it was the same symbol carved into Celtic graves dating back 5,000 years, along with the mathematical principles that underlie it.
Through the visionary works of Maurer, Molnár, and Rákóczy, the show offers a glimpse into the hidden order of things, inviting us to explore the beautiful unpredictability at the heart of abstraction. It is both a visual serenade and a thoughtful journey, offering a feast for the eyes and a gentle meditation for the mind.
Alexandra de Cramer
Issue 66, December 2023
Turkey’s Centenary Issue
