Whitney Biennial 2026 | Art & Artists

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Samia Halaby (she/her)

25

In the 1980s—three decades into her career as an abstract painter—Samia Halaby observed that the most historically ambitious paintings had always used the technology of their time and began to use a personal computer in her own work. After teaching herself the programming languages BASIC and C, Halaby used a Commodore Amiga 1000 to create what she calls “kinetic paintings.” She continues programming on a PC to explore the motion, light, and transformation that much abstract art has long suggested.

En los años ochenta, tras tres décadas de trayectoria en pintura abstracta, Samia Halaby observó que las pinturas históricamente más ambiciosas siempre usaron la tecnología de su tiempo y comenzó a utilizar su computadora personal en su obra. Luego de aprender por su cuenta los lenguajes de programación BASIC y C, Halaby usó una Commodore Amiga 1000 para crear lo que ella denomina “pinturas cinéticas”. Ella continúa programando en una PC para explorar el movimiento, la luz y la transformación, que gran parte del arte abstracto ha sugerido durante mucho tiempo.

Central Park 8, 1986

Abstract geometric composition with two large brown circles, orange arcs, and a blue striped grid background.
Abstract geometric composition with two large brown circles, orange arcs, and a blue striped grid background.

Samia Halaby, still from Central Park 8, 1986. Kinetic painting programmed on a personal computer, transferred to digital, color, and sound; 3:47 min. Ed. 5 + 2 AP. © Samia Halaby. Image courtesy the artist and Sfeir-Semler Gallery

On the Hour

A 30-second online art project:
Frank WANG Yefeng, The Levitating Perils #2

Learn more about this project

Learn more at whitney.org/artport

On the Hour projects can contain motion and sound. To respect your accessibility settings autoplay is disabled.