Mira is a generative artwork in which floral structures grow, branch, and bloom in response to the viewer’s input. As the cursor nears a flower, new branches sprout, producing endlessly varied forms. Left alone, the piece runs on its own, filling the screen until saturation triggers a fresh cycle. The title nods to both the mathematical formula used to generate the forms, the Gumowski-Mira chaotic attractor, and to the term, “Mira!”, meaning “Look!” in Portuguese and Spanish. First built in Macromedia Director, the work was later rebuilt for today’s web, a testament to preserving early net art for new audiences.
Since 1995, Vienna-based artist LIA has been a pioneering figure in software art. Working primarily with code, she engages in an ongoing dialogue with the machine, translating ideas into generative structures and refining them until the result matches her vision. Her minimalist works merge the traditions of drawing and painting with the aesthetics of digital algorithms, aiming to reach the viewer on a subconscious level. Her practice is exhibited and commissioned internationally.