MAGBa3 - Orígens
Barcelona Generative Art Exhibition
On July 8, MAGBa – Barcelona Generative Art Exhibition – returns under the title Orígens, which proposes a dialogue between the pioneering works of the seventies and contemporary practices of generative art, a look back to find new paths forward.
The starting point of the exhibition is an anniversary: this year marks the fiftieth anniversary of Computer Graphics and Art , the magazine that between 1976 and 1978 documented the first experiments of a generation of artists who explored the computer as a creative tool. Those black and white pages, full of plotter traces and algorithmic geometries, left an indelible mark on the history of art. The nineteen participating artists have chosen a work published in those issues and freely reinterpreted it, producing an original piece that dialogues with the past without reproducing it. The reference to the work and the original author accompanies each work in the room, so that the exhibition also becomes a story about the foundations of this art.
All the works are in strict black and white, in homage to the aesthetics of the first graphic systems. Physical pieces—plotter drawings, prints, sculptures—coexist with algorithmic works that run in real time on the screens of the exhibition space.
MAGBa3 · Orígens opens to the public on July 8 at 7pm in Palo Alto Barcelona and will remain open during the months of July and August 2026.
Works
Artists
- Albert Carles
- Anna Carreras
- Citlali Hernandez
- Daniel Julià
- Eloi Maduell
- Enric Mor
- Gerard Valls
- Harto
- Heey
- Joan Soler-Adillon
- Julien Gachadoat (V3GA)
- Lali Barrière
- Luis E. Fraguada
- Neki Rivera
- Toni Díaz
- Medusa
- Nico Arbogast
- Paolo Curtoni
- Piti2048
- Poperbu
- Santi Vilanova
Works and artists
Abuse and abandonment
Nicole Ortiz Sedlackova
Intermediate level training cycle in Pottery
La Bisbal Institute, La Bisbal d’Empordà
Flower
Bruna Aguilera
Intermediate training course in Leather Accessories Craftsmanship
Gaspar Camps Art School, Igualada
[old age, beauty]
Sea Bourque
Higher degree training cycle in Photography
Leandre Cristòfol Art School, Lleida
Walden 7 typography
Carlos Alba Hernandez
Higher degree training cycle in Advertising Graphics
Antoni Algueró Institute, Sant Just Desvern
Activities
Recoding: Tracing the Origins
of Generative Art
July 10th 4:00pm – 8:00pm
Cortés Room
Four-hour practical workshop led by Julien Gachadoat (v3ga) that proposes to explore the origins of generative art based on the reinterpretation of Segrid (1973), by the American artist John Roy .
Starting from a contemporary recoding of the original work in p5.js, participants will create their own visual iterations and mutations. A selection of the results will be materialized into physical drawings printed with modern and vintage pen plotters (AxiDraw and Roland DXY), which participants will be able to take home as unique pieces created during the session.
To participate in the workshop, each registrant must bring:
Laptop , Inkscape installed, AxiDraw control software installed and basic knowledge of p5.js or JavaScript . This is not a workshop for people starting from scratch with programming code.
Without this setup on the day of the workshop, you will not be able to fully participate in the practical part.
The workshop will be held in English and French.
Commented listening session of generative music
July 14th 6:00pm – 7:00pm
Cortés Room
What does algorithmic art sound like? This commented listening session, led by Santi Vilanova (Playmodes), explores the sound dimension of generative systems through practical examples and musical automata that create compositions in constant transformation.
Over the course of about 45 minutes, we will discover how rules, chance and complexity can generate different musical pieces each time they are performed, turning the work into a living process rather than a fixed object.
The session includes space for questions and conversation, and is the only activity in the program dedicated specifically to the sound aspect of generative art.
Palimpsest: drawing following instructions – participatory workshop inspired by Sol LeWittHeeey Palimpsest Workshop
July 15th 6:00pm – 7:00pm
Cortés Room
Palimpsest is a participatory workshop inspired by Sol LeWitt’s Wall Drawings and linked to MAGBa3 “Orígens” , the algorithmic art exhibition that Palo Alto hosts during the months of July and August 2026. Based on a set of instructions, participants will discover a way of creating in which the result does not depend so much on technical skill as on the process and the rules that make it possible.
Guided by Xavi Lozano (Heeey), participants will work with black carpenter’s pencil on plasterboard plates following visual instructions projected on a screen. Although starting from the same instructions, each piece will be unique, and each one will take home their own work. The session also includes a brief introduction to generative art and the historical references that have inspired MAGBa3 “Orígens”.
From scratch origins
July 15th 7:00pm – 10:00pm
Cortés Room
A night of live coding at the Cortes Hall in Palo Alto: music and visuals created live, in front of the audience, writing code in real time.
Live coding is the art of improvising with code: instead of preparing a performance in advance, artists write code on stage, line by line, and the code itself generates the music and images you see and hear. The code is projected into the room, the audience sees how decisions are made, how the sound changes when a parameter is modified, how a visual pattern deforms when a function is added. It is an open and somewhat vulnerable way of performing, where error, trial and improvisation are part of the show.
Exhibition opening
Inaugural event with the presence of the artists
July 8 at 7pm
Escoleta Room
Free access
Schedules
From July 8 to August 28
Hours Mon to Fri 9am to 7:30pm
Saturday 4 and 5 July open
Admission with Palo Alto Market Fest access
Contact
comunicacio@paloalto.barcelona
M 671 230 54
With the support of
Collaborate
