In Search of Vital Presence - Evolving Virtual Musics

Abstract

A long-standing interest in the boundaries and relationships between art and science, animate and inanimate, technology and biology all serve to drive my work as an artist and composer. Technological changes that exploit biological paradigms will change our way of seeing nature, technology and culture. Virtual worlds provide an ideal arena in which to explore these ideas. The interactive virtual environment, Feeping Creatures generates music and graphics in real time based on the evolution and behavior of a population of artificial organisms. The Vital Presence project attempts to take this idea further and provide more scope for evolution of all aspects of the music. Along the way, I find opportunities to share my opinions on various issues surrounding this kind of work, and speculate on the implications and future directions of my own work.