go forth & *
go forth & * is the first Metabiosis project. It is an installation of 3 computers. On each computer we’ve placed an ecosystem. When you visit the installation you can create a personal data-packet to seed into one of the ecosystems. To generate a packet, a set of questions needs to be answered. All questions are about how you envision your packet to be. Is your packet very shy? Is it afraid to leave its home or is it more of a traveller? Is your packet screaming for attention or more of a loner? After answering the questions, the packets DNA is established and a new packet is born, and set free in its ecosystem.
As soon as the packet arrives in the ecosystem it will start interacting with existing packets. Each packet has its own individual shape and behaviour. It is not just a data-packet, it is a packet with an attitude. A big slow loner, travelling the 3 worlds at a quiet pace, or a tiny hyperactive one, afraid to leave its home base. If your packet meets a packet with matching DNA, they can reproduce and create a new packet. All packets will have a limited lifespan, at some point they all have to face the inevitable packet heaven. You can follow your packets ups and downs, its travels and its offspring by following its journey through the three ecosystems. (2006)
Metabiosis – go forth & * has been exhibited at the Netherlands Media Art Institute from the 4th of November untill the 16th of December 2006
For more information about the Metabiosis project, please visit the project site http://metabiosis.kuri.mu