A very personal story.

Molnar 2025 is an algorithmic artwork celebrating the 24th anniversary of my meeting with the pioneering generative artist Vera Molnar (1924-2023). Created using custom Java-Processing code, the piece features 2025 squares, each representing a visual tribute to her influence. The artwork is plotted on A3 Canson Imagine paper using a Rotring isograph pen 0.25 with pigment ink.

I had the privilege of meeting Vera Molnar in the summer of 2000, at her studio in the Alesia neighbourhood of Paris. I was accompanied by Bernard Point, then Director of the École Municipale des Beaux-Arts de Gennevilliers. At that time, I was about to finish my master's research at the Centre de Recherche sur l'Image (CRI) at the Sorbonne Saint-Charles centre (UFR04), where Molnar herself was part of the faculty in the 1980s. My research was supervised by Gérard Pelé, and I was contemplating my PhD thesis topic. Unfortunately, due to changes in university management, I had to leave the CRI "Labo," a unique space for algorithmic art in France during the 1990s. In this mystic space, we experimented with programming languages such as BASIC, Pascal, Lisp, C, Macromedia Lingo, and Apple's HyperTalk. Little did I know that I would have to wait until the emergence of Processing by MIT's Ben Fry and Casey Reas in 2008 to complete my thesis years later under the supervision of the late Debra Porch. At the CRI "Labo," everything was custom, making it impossible to replicate the setup to continue my work elsewhere. With Processing and OpenGL, all I needed was a laptop, significantly simplifying my research setup.

During our conversation, Molnar and I discussed BASIC programming language, which she used to make her art, as well as CalComp plotters and BFM computers. At the end of our visit, Molnar generously gifted me a box of plotter pens of various brands and some Rotring ink, tools that would profoundly shape my own artistic journey.

Vera Molnar, a trailblazer in generative and computer art, began her exploration of algorithmic processes in the 1950s. Her innovative use of computers and systematic approaches to art-making laid the foundation for modern generative art. Central to her work was the importance of lines and squares, which she used to explore the interplay of form and structure. Molnar's concept of "machine imaginaire," where she created art through a set of predefined steps and rules, has profoundly influenced my work and many others in the field.

In Molnar 2025, I honour this legacy by RE-using the plotter pens she gifted me. This artwork blends traditional tools with contemporary digital techniques, symbolising a bridge between past and present. The meticulous placement and repetition of squares pay homage to Molnar's fascination with geometric forms and their infinite variations.

The artwork invites viewers to engage with the intricate patterns and systematic precision that define algorithmic art. It challenges traditional boundaries and encourages a RE-imagination of artistic processes. By focusing on the line and square, elements so integral to Molnar's work, "Molnar 2025" highlights the timeless nature of these forms in the world of generative art.

Molnar 2025 is not just a visual homage; it is a dialogue between the past and future of generative art. It represents a personal journey and a broader narrative of how technology continues to reshape our artistic landscapes. This piece aims to offer a multifaceted view of art, technology, and personal history, embodying the spirit of innovation and reflection.

—Mohamed Louanjli
Helsinki, 2024