Forty-Four Esolangs: The Art of Esoteric Code

What happens when programming languages aim not at functionality and efficiency, but at irritation and reflection, or act like poetry? In his book Forty-Four Esolangs: The Art of Esoteric Code, published in 2025 by MIT Press, artist Daniel Temkin brings together so-called esoteric programming languages –- radical experiments at the limits of what code can be.

Temkin’s esolangs challenge programmers to write code by whistling to the machine, or in the form of prayers to the Greek gods, or as patterns of empty folders. They can be collaborative or poetic inspirations in the tradition of the Fluxus movement. Temkin thus questions conventional definitions of language, code, and computer and highlights the potential of esolangs as conceptual art.

Forty-Four Esolangs raises questions about the relationship between code, human creativity, and artificial intelligence, as well as the usefulness of artistic programming languages.. It focuses on the agency, materiality, social contexts, and political dimension of programming languages.

The book will be available to purchase on the night £22 a copy.