CCAT Presents New Exhibition Dixit Algorizmi Curated By Joseph Grima 

The Centre for Contemporary Art Tashkent (CCAT), which sits under the Art & Culture Development Foundation of the Ministry of Culture of Uzbekistan, presents the exhibition Dixit Algorizmi, exploring the seminal work of ninth century Uzbek scientist and mathematician, Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwārizmī. Curated by Joseph Grima and co-curated by Sheida Ghomashchi and Camilo Oliveira, the exhibition opened on October 5th and unpacks the influence of the polymath’s work on today’s technological acceleration, modern day culture, and Western innovation.

Dixit Algorizmi centers on al-Khwārizmī findings detailed in his book Kitab al-Jabr wa-al-muqabala, written in 820 AD; the Latin translation of the book actually gave rise to the word “algorithm.” According to exhibition curator Joseph Grima, “The algorithm shapes all the possible interactions in modern culture through the apps on our smartphones. We know the word, but we don’t understand it. Through the multi-sensory and illustrative exhibition, we are retracing its origin and the great impact it has had on societies and cultures, from ancient to modern times.” Technology we assume to be modern, such as artificial intelligence and robotic automation, rests on the same basic principles theorized by al-Khwārizmī over a thousand years ago.