Taking direct inspiration from Malvina Reynolds’ 1962 song “Little Boxes,” the generative artwork little boxes on the hillsides, mother is a contemplation of suburban landscapes. The software explores the cyclical relationship between the construction of homes, the environments they displace, and the ecosystems that will eventually replace them, echoing these themes through an infinite production of geometric compositions.
The work was first exhibited in 2021 in the exhibition ‘A Generative Movement’ at the bitforms gallery in San Francisco.
In 2023, it was acquired for the permanent collection of the .NEWART { foundation;} in Reus, Spain. The foundation officially launched in 2025, presenting a founding collection that includes LIA alongside figures such as Refik Anadol, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Manfred Mohr, and Casey Reas.
‘little boxes on the hillsides, mother (2021)’. Curated excerpt from the project documentation. The full 5-minute version can be viewed on Vimeo.
Selected screenshots from the generative system.
Exhibition History
Exhibition: ‘A Generative Movement’ at bitforms gallery (2021)
Installation views from the 2021 exhibition.
Exhibition: ‘Hyperobjects’ at Círculo de Bellas Artes, Madrid (2024)
Installation views from the ‘Hyperobjects’ exhibition.
On the Artwork’s Process
little boxes on the hillsides, mother is an animated abstract suburban cityscape powered by a program of LIA’s own design and development. Over the 25 years of her artistic career, LIA’s working process has typically involved as much intuition as it does engineering skill, and this piece is no exception. Growing from an initial Processing sketch by way of the artist’s careful selection of angles, transparencies, and line weights, alongside deliberate retention of accidents and bugs, a virtually infinite sequence of house-like forms appears and disappears, sliding over each other in hypnotic rhythms as they make their way slowly down the screen.
Taking inspiration from the song “Little Boxes” by Malvina Reynolds, little boxes on the hillsides, mother is a contemplation of houses and cities. The cyclical relationship between the construction of homes, the lands and environments they have replaced, and the ecosystems that will eventually replace them is echoed through an infinite production of geometric compositions. The installation of this work invites user interaction, allowing visitors to reset parameters or pause the application and view the artwork in stillness, much like a print or painting.
Project Details
Year Created: 2021
Medium: Generative Software Artwork (monochrome, silent)
Dimensions: Variable
Edition: 1 (+1 AP)
Permanent Collection
.NEWART { foundation;}, Reus, Spain (Acquired 2023)
Part of the foundation’s core collection alongside artists including: Refik Anadol, Daniel Canogar, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Manfred Mohr, Casey Reas, and others.
Exhibition History
bitforms gallery, San Francisco, USA (‘A Generative Movement’, 2021)
Círculo de Bellas Artes, Madrid, Spain (‘Hyperobjects’, 2024)
Related Projects
‘little boxes on the hillsides, child’ (Art Blocks, 2021)
