The Great Computational Herbarium


Year 2023-present
Format Custom software (colored, silent)
File Format JavaScript(p5.js), HTML, CSS
Dimension Dimensions variable

Assistant software developer Rodjun


(Left) Page from an Herbal Manuscript, Iraq or Syria, Iranian or Syrian, 13th century, The Nasli M. Heeramaneck Collection, gift of Joan Palevsky, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA; (Right) Monica Rizzolli, Page from an Artificial Plant Script, 2023

The Great Computational Herbarium was born from a dialogue between past and future. Developed as part of the Remembrance of Things Future project at LACMA, it was inspired by historical botanical manuscripts and the ways humans have documented flora over centuries.



Christie´s Next Wave: The Miami Edit, 7–8 December 2023 at The Gateway Miami at the Faena Forum presented by Now Media



The Great Computational Herbarium featured in Neo Botanica – An Atlas of Artificially Generated Flora, published by Vetro Editions in 2024

The Great Computational Herbarium is an ongoing generative art project by Monica Rizzolli that explores the intersection of nature, mathematics, and code. Inspired by historical botanical manuscripts and natural growth patterns, the project aims to create a digital flora—an evolving collection of algorithmically generated plant species.

Using mathematical formulas, including the Superformula, Rizzolli programs organic forms that simulate the structure and diversity of real-world vegetation. Each species is uniquely shaped by coded parameters, resulting in intricate, lifelike botanical compositions. The project reflects on the ways humans document, interpret, and reimagine nature through technology.

The Great Computational Herbarium is an artistic exploration of generative biodiversity, blending historical references with contemporary digital aesthetics. The project is continuously expanding, with new plant species being developed and compiled into a future contemporary Flora—a digital reinterpretation of traditional herbal books.


Installation views at Neo BotanicaGenerations at LOAD Gallery, Barcelona, 2025
The Great Computational Herbarium presented at Enter Art Fair 2024 in Copenhagen by Artscape Digital.

Project exhibited on Times Square billboards during NFT.NYC 2024