Presented in collaboration with Tezos Foundation

In his first solo exhibition with bitforms gallery, Zancan brings together a body of work that weaves the organic intricacies of nature with the exacting logic of generative code. Tree_Line traces the evolution of Zancan’s primary subject—the tree—as a motif and metaphor of a living structure composed of systems, networks, and branching decisions, mirroring the algorithms that define generative art.

At the heart of the exhibition hangs Tree 138, a multi-layered sculptural installation representing one of the most ambitious physical manifestations attempted in the NFT space. Tree 138 was transformed into a monumental installation supporting 83 individually embroidered frames crafted over six months in the artist's Bordeaux studio. The artwork is offered as a complete ecosystem: all 83 printed works with an accompanying NFT containing Tree 138 as an interactive GLB file allowing online viewers to further explore and discover the process and more intricate details. Tree 138 stands as a singular achievement in the NFT landscape, challenging traditional boundaries between digital ownership and physical space.

Across the gallery from Tree 138 is a timeline of Zancan’s printed plotter works from 2021 to present day. This is the first presentation of physical works from several celebrated longform generative collections. Select works have either preceded public launches or represent the physical, plotted expressions from iconic programs. Ivy Study is one of the artist’s first plotter drawings. The work utilizes the program trees.js, an algorithm that sparked a daily plotting ritual for the artist in 2021. Garden [grass.js] depicts the culmination of months spent coaxing generative code into expressive, organic forms, captured on paper in a rare and personal A3 drawing. In A Bugged Forest #0, the artist confronts the concept of control—revealing how a single flaw in code can lead to unexpected beauty. Embracing the accident as co-creator, Zancan positions himself not as sole author but as listener to a deeper, perhaps older, intelligence.

Lushtemples, one of the most celebrated generative collections on the Tezos blockchain, renders natural forms using equations and code, reaffirming the artist’s belief that programming can emulate the chaotic elegance of the natural world. This series of algorithmic drawings explore the relationship between humans and their natural environment through sepia tones infused with poetic symbolism. Borrowing visual elements from ancient civilizations, they take a centuries-long step back in order to reflect on our virtuous—or sometimes toxic—dependence on technology. On the occasion of his exhibition at bitforms gallery, Lushtemple artworks will be sold as unique editions.

Garden Monoliths #0, is a plotted and hand-painted homage to the now-iconic series, bearing a hidden illustration on its reverse side—a secret sketch veiled within layers of ink and intention. A Long Thread and Everything Made Simple carry out the motif of the continuous line, stitched into fabric in a quiet tribute to pioneering media artist Herbert W. Franke. These lines become a symbol of connection, continuity, and the unpredictability that lies at the heart of both nature and code. Zancan’s journey continues with Kumono Shingou #0, the singular plotter artifact from Zancan’s generative series released in Tokyo with Bright Moments. Tree_Line offers a survey of Zancan’s major works as well as a meditation on the interconnectedness of systems—biological, digital, artistic. Through code, pen, and plotter, Zancan does not simply depict trees, he grows them.