“Computer-Grafik” was the third public show in history of artistic works programmed for a digital computer and executed by a computer-controlled drawing machine (“plotter”). The exhibition opened on the 5th of November 1965 at Galerie Wendelin Niedlich in Stuttgart (Germany) and lasted until the 26th of November. Two important exhibitions had preceded this one in the same year: The first exhibition of digital computer graphics in Stuttgart with works by Georg Nees, and the exhibition at the Howard Wise Gallery in New York.

Both Frieder Nake and Georg Nees were influenced by the radically rational way of thinking that German philosopher, Max Bense, was propagating. Frieder Nake sat in on Bense’s lectures, being attracted in particular by Bense’s aesthetics. It was firmly based on Charles S. Peirce’s semiotics and Claude E. Shannon’s information theory. Georg Nees later submitted his doctoral thesis to Max Bense. It became world-wide the first thesis on computer art (defended 1968, published 1969).

Bense had been announced to speak at the opening of the exhibition, as he had done at the very first show of computer art in February, 1965. He did, however, not show up. Instead, Bense’s text was read by Reinhard Döhl. A copy of Benses talk for the vernissage was published in 1966 in »Kritisches Jahrbuch 1« edited by Wendelin Niedlich.

As is true for the other two computer art shows of 1965, reactions by the press were marginal, restricted to local or regional newspapers only. In Germany (West), however, the news magazine DER SPIEGEL brought an article in 1966, and German National Television carried a short report.

Several works from the show were sold at extremely low price.