NEWSLETTER
Presented in partnership with the Tezos Foundation, with fragments of exhibited work available for visitors to collect for free onsite and online
March 6–August 24, 2025; Opening Reception on Thursday, March 6
Astoria, New York (February 18, 2025) — In the latest and final installation series presented in partnership with the Tezos Foundation, Museum of the Moving Image announces Compositions in Code: The Art of Processing and p5.js, to be presented from March 6 through August 24 on its Herbert S. Schlosser Media Wall. The featured artists all used the accessible, open-source programming environment Processing or the p5.js library as tools in the creation of their work. Each artist will make a fragment of the exhibited work available for the public to collect for free onsite and online via the Tezos blockchain.
Processing has played a central role in shaping the public perception of code as a visual art form. Launched in 2001 by Casey Reas and Ben Fry, this accessible, artist-friendly, open-source programming environment made creating art with code less intimidating. Offering a simplified, sketchbook-like environment that provides immediate visual feedback, Processing remains influential 25 years later. More recently, the p5.js library, created by Lauren Lee McCarthy, has adapted these core ideas to JavaScript, which has become a popular medium for outputs meant to be shared online.
Presented as a series of diptychs, Compositions in Code pairs three Processing early adopters—Marius Watz, LIA, and Robert Hodgin—with artists working regularly with p5.js: Aleksandra Jovanić, Sarah Ridgley, and Melissa Wiederrecht. Early adopters and their p5.js counterparts were involved in the curatorial process for each diptych. The exhibition is organized by MoMI’s Associate Curator of Media Arts, Regina Harsanyi.
The Tezos blockchain hosts many of the most renowned artists working with Processing and p5.js including all the artists participating in Compositions in Code. Popular platforms on Tezos, such as fxhash, objkt, and EditArt, all enable and support the proliferation of code-based art for thousands of creators worldwide.
On Thursday, March 6, at 7:00 p.m. MoMI, the Tezos Foundation, and the Processing Foundation will co-host an opening reception for Compositions in Code featuring a discussion with the artist Marius Watz; Aleksandra Artamonovskaja, Head of Arts at Trilitech, Tezos Ecosystem; and Roopa Vasudevan, a mentor from the Processing Foundation; moderated by Harsanyi.
Processing and p5.js’s impact extends well beyond its technical merits, reshaping how code can be viewed as a tool for creating art. By lowering barriers to access, Processing has empowered multiple generations of artists to explore generative, interactive, and algorithmic practices. This shift has redefined not only artistic production but also art education. In parallel, p5.js combines Processing’s experimental spirit with the broad reach of the internet without requiring additional browser plug-ins. Together, these tools have become essential reference points in contemporary art discourse, while aiding teachers, researchers, and students in understanding the creative potential of code.
Compositions in Code: The Art of Processing and p5.js is the fourth series of media art installations for MoMI’s Schlosser Media Wall presented in partnership with the Tezos Foundation. Additional support for Compositions in Code is provided by the Processing Foundation.
About Tezos
Tezos is a cutting-edge, energy-efficient blockchain. Thousands of artists around the globe have chosen Tezos to create and sell digital art while cultural institutions including Serpentine, Musée d'Orsay, and LAS Art Foundation have used it for their innovative approaches to cultural programming.
About Museum of the Moving Image
Founded in 1985, MoMI celebrates the history, art, technology, and future of the moving image in all of its forms. Located in Astoria, New York, the Museum presents exhibitions; screenings; discussion programs featuring actors, directors, and creative leaders; and education programs. It houses the nation’s most comprehensive collection of moving image artifacts and screens over 500 films annually. Its exhibitions—including the core exhibition Behind the Screen and The Jim Henson Exhibition—are noted for their integration of material objects, interactive experiences, and audiovisual presentations. For more information about MoMI, visit movingimage.org.
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Press contact: Tomoko Kawamoto, tkawamoto@movingimage.org, 718 777 6830
PRESS IMAGES
Museum of the Moving Image is located at 36-01 35 Ave, Astoria, NY 11106
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Museum of the Moving Image is housed in a building owned by the City of New York and has received significant support from the following public agencies: New York City Department of Cultural Affairs; New York City Council; New York City Economic Development Corporation; New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Governor and the New York State Legislature; Institute of Museum and Library Services; National Endowment for the Humanities; National Endowment for the Arts; and Natural Heritage Trust (administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation).