Virtual worlds as art practice: EvoArt methodologies

Abstract

Synthetic biology as an artistic technique draws on the exploration of the mechanisms used by organisms to process information and develop their morphologies to address a diverse range of aesthetic agendas. The instrumentalisation of biological processes and methodologies by artists is called Evolutionary Art (EvoArt) and this practice has been attracting in the last three decades an increasing number of creators. Natural selection and genetics are inspirations for the practice of artists such as William Latham (development of biomorphic shapes: sculptures, paintings, designs), or Robb Lovell and John Mitchell (development of entire virtual ecologies).

As Virtual Worlds (VWs) establish themselves at the centre of the technical and social panorama of the internet, they become more determinant in the contextualisation of human communication and sociability, and at the same time establish themselves as metaphors of cultural processes for the contemporary human condition. In the present advent of VWs, one of the main challenges that EvoArt artists face is precisely extending their knowledge and practice into this new technological and cultural realm. In this communication we will identify three EvoArt approaches that can inform VWs construction and aesthetics: (i) living non-player characters, (ii) living architectures, and (iii) collaborative construction of the landscape.

Contributors

Rui Filipe Antunes

Frederic Fol Leymarie

Conference

Publication date: July 2010

Publication date (Print): July 2010

Pages: 271-277

Affiliations

Goldsmiths, University of London

Article

DOI: 10.14236/ewic/EVA2010.41

Copyright statement: © Rui Filipe Antunes et al. Published by BCS Learning and Development Ltd. Electronic Visualisation and the Arts (EVA 2010), London, UK

License:

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Conference name: Electronic Visualisation and the Arts (EVA 2010)

Conference acronym: EVA

Conference number:

Conference location: London, UK

Conference date: 5 - 7 July 2010

Conference sponsor: Electronic Workshops in Computing (eWiC)

Conference theme: Electronic Visualisation and the Arts

Product

Product Information: 1477-9358BCS Learning & Development

Self URI (article page): https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.14236/ewic/EVA2010.41

Self URI (journal page): https://ewic.bcs.org/

Categories

Series title: Electronic Workshops in Computing