Step into ‘History Encoded’, an immersive jubilee exhibition by Project 22 collective tracing the evolution of digital art—from its algorithmic foundations to today’s cutting-edge generative, immersive, and blockchain-driven practices. Featuring 11 pioneering digital artists, this is not a retrospective; it’s a living narrative—where today’s visionary creators engage with the legacies that shaped digital creativity.

Experience generative systems by Julian Hespenheide, whose practice reflects the influence of one of digital art’s earliest pioneers, active since 1965 and his former mentor. Discover early explorations of net art through LIA’s original 2001 piece—a rare glimpse into the pioneering days of online generative art—and Casey Reas’ iconic Process 6 from 2005, a seminal software-based artwork that helped define the creative coding movement. Explore the rise of blockchain and AI-driven art with works by Hackatao, early champions of NFT culture, and OBVIOUS, whose AI-generated portrait famously sold at Christie’s in 2018, sparking a global conversation around art and artificial intelligence.

To dive further into the evolution and potential future of digital art, kanvas will host two exciting side events on June 21 and 22 at 12PM:

What even is AI — really? (Lecture)

A curious, open-door session exploring what large language models are, who’s behind them, and how they’re reshaping the way we live, think, and create. The host, Jenya Gerzhan – strategist, creative producer, AI explorer, and founder of oops – will unpack the basics, explore tools already at our fingertips, and begin to understand — not just talk about — what happens when humans and machines start making things together.

Muse on Machine? (Panel Discussion)

Join us for a public panel discussion with artists who work with more than just brushes and pixels. Together, they’ll explore how AI inspires new ideas, new forms, and new questions about what it means to create today: What is AI to an artist? A tool? A material? A medium? Or something else entirely? Can a machine be creative — or is creativity still uniquely human? Is AI a collaborator, a catalyst, or just code? Find out with moderator Jenya Gerzhan and panelists Ila Colombo AI artist and researcher, Pico Velasquez computational architect and artist and Jalal Luqman mixed-media artist, sculptor and  curator.

Throughout the weekend, curator Evgeniya Romanidi, Founder of Project22, will lead guided tours at 2:00 PM, 3:00 PM, 4:00 PM and 5:00 PM, offering deeper insights into the exhibition’s concept and featured works. We welcome you to join us for this timely and thought-provoking program that honours the history of digital art while engaging with the creative technologies shaping its future.