25/2/65 Nr. 14

25/2/65 Nr. 14 is a computer-generated drawing by Frieder Nake, one of the founding figures of computer art. It exemplifies his approach to what he described as algorithmic art. Rather than using the computer as an expressive tool in itself, Nake employed algorithms to investigate the aesthetic possibilities of computation, treating the machine as a symbolic processor capable of executing formal instructions without assigning meaning to them.

The work belongs to what is known as Nake’s er56 period, after the ER 56 electronic computer installed at the Institute for Applied Mathematics in 1959, which he used extensively between 1964 and 1965. During this phase, Nake produced several key series, including Zufälliger Polygonzug (Random polygonal lines), Geradenscharen (Families of straight lines), and Rechteckschraffuren (Rectangular hatch patterns). These works are characterized by rectilinear, meandering paths and layered geometric structures generated through controlled randomness.

Also known as Achsenparalleler Polygonzug 25/2/65 Nr. 14 (Rectangular Random Polygon 25/2/65 No. 14), this drawing is one of 150 algorithmic variants. Most works of this kind were realized using a Zuse Graphomat Z64, a high-precision flatbed plotter that translated Nake’s coded instructions into precise, material form. While the computer executed the algorithm, authorship remained firmly with the artist, whose creative decisions shaped both the system and the interpretation of its results.