Programmoire: Refiguring Witchcraft for a Creative Agency via Computational Art Practice

Abstract This paper provides a reflection on a practice-based computational art project titled Programmoire that explores the presence of computation within the medieval Arabic tradition of magic squares in both its mathematical origins and its magical mutation. The research speculates on an alternative history for technology rooted in the history of magic. Through examining the shared use of symbolic logic and active syntax between coding languages and symbolic magic, the project asks what technology can look like if used as a magical tool and how artistic practice can guide this exploration.