Ankitha Vasudev – Looking Outwards – 06

E-volver is a site specific work for the Research Labs of the LUMC (Lieden University Medical Centre) in Leiden. The software allows people to interact with the screen by tapping on it. Four images of random genetic patterns are displayed on the screen, and the person interacting with the software can touch the image that interests them the least. Voting out the least exciting animation, devalues those particular genes and also upgrades the genes of the three surviving animations. Thus, the selection process evolves a group of agents that generate the most intriguing animation. 

I found this project interesting due to the combination of art, genetics and the process of evolution. For this project the artists developed software that generates artificial pixel-sized agents. Each agent is made up of thirteen genes that determine how the agent will behave on the screen. The genes read the properties of their eight surrounding pixels and tell the agent what to do with the pixel on which it stands and to which pixel it should move to next. In this way, each of the agents leaves its individual traces on the screen. This project allows one to understand the process of evolution while providing an aesthetic experience. 

Link to work: https://notnot.home.xs4all.nl/E-volverLUMC/E-volverLUMC.html