117 - Vera Molnár (1924–2023)

Vera Molnár (1924–2023) Letter from My Mother, 1987 Computer-generated plotter drawing on paper, monogrammed and dated in the lower right corner Original work, one-of-a-kind piece, 29.5 x 42 cm Condition report: Box: A French artist of Hungarian origin (born in Budapest), Vera Molnár’s work is rooted in geometric abstraction and minimalism, seeking to create a rational, universal visual language devoid of subjectivity. Influenced by Cubism and the avant-garde movements, she constructs her compositions using simple forms organized according to systematic rules. A pioneer of computer coding in art, she conceived an “imaginary machine” as early as the late 1950s and later used the computer as a creative tool to generate variations in forms based on programs. Her work is based on a combination of mathematical rigor and deliberate disruption, introducing a slight disorder—her characteristic “1% disorder.” Through these processes, she explores the relationships between order and chaos, repetition and variation, engaging the viewer’s active perception. In February 2024, the National Museum of Modern Art in Paris dedicated an exhibition to her titled “Parler à l’œil” (Speaking to the Eye). In the exhibition currently on view at the Grand Palais, “Cézanne and Us,” 13 of her “variations on Montagne Sainte Victoire” are displayed opposite the master’s works; From October 2026 to May 2027, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London is dedicating a major exhibition to the pioneer of computer-generated and generative art, “Degrees of Disruption,” which brings together more than 50 works that demonstrate how the artist used algorithms, chance, repetition, and geometry to explore the possibilities of artistic creation.