The Museum of Modern Art debuted an exhibition titled “It’s Alive!” this week to explore the evolution of animation [1].

The showcase provides a critical look at how the medium developed over a century, marking the transition from early hand-drawn techniques to the era immediately preceding the digital revolution.

Curator Ron Magliozzi said the exhibition covers 100 years of animation [1]. The collection traces the trajectory of the art form from its earliest beginnings through various stylistic shifts. By focusing on the period before digital technology fundamentally changed the industry, the museum highlights the physical craftsmanship involved in traditional animation.

The exhibition features a wide range of influences, spanning the era of Felix the Cat to the experimental aesthetics of MTV [1]. This breadth allows visitors to see how animation evolved from simple loops into a complex narrative tool used across different media platforms.

Magliozzi said the show examines the medium's growth and the techniques that defined it for a century [1]. The curation emphasizes the tactile nature of the work, a contrast to the software-driven processes that dominate contemporary production.

MoMA intends for the exhibition to serve as a historical record of the medium's versatility. By showcasing these works, the museum underscores the relationship between technology and artistic expression, an evolution that paved the way for modern cinema and digital art [1].

“The exhibition covers 100 years of animation.”

By centering the exhibition on the era before digital technology, MoMA is positioning traditional animation as a distinct historical epoch. This suggests a curatorial effort to preserve the legacy of analog craftsmanship in an age where AI and CGI have largely replaced manual frame-by-frame production.