Melissa Wiederrecht
Melissa Wiederrecht (*1988 in Iowa City, USA) was raised in Wyoming, but lives and works in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. From 2006 to 2014, she studied at the University of Wyoming, obtaining both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science. Since graduating, she has employed code and algorithms to create abstract compositions that evoke a connection to the infinite. While her artistic medium relies on technology, it explores how these generated outputs can connect to timeless and ancient concepts.
Born in America, Melissa chose to live her life as a Muslim woman in Saudi Arabia, immersing herself fully while also being surrounded by Sudanese people and culture. She actively participates in a movement of Generative Art, participating in online communities and presenting code-based art on the blockchain. With her art, Melissa aims to celebrate the strange and beautiful blend of these diverse cultures.
A Calculated Star, 1 of 94, July 2025
Video loop (fragment) derived from Calculated Stars, a generative work exhibited on the Schlosser Media Wall at the Museum of the Moving Image.
Like its source, created with p5.js, JavaScript, and GLSL, A Calculated Star connects algorithmic generative art, Islamic geometric design, and the universe, inviting reflection on the mathematical precision embedded in each system.