by: Rebecca Allen and the Emergence Team
The Bush Soul explores the role of human presence in a world of artificial life.
A person's "soul", represented as a sphere of energy, enters a virtual world
that is alive and responsive. The world's inhabitants are brought to life
through programs that define their behaviors and desires. Complex social
environments emerge from the interaction of simple behaviors. As you explore
and interact with the environment your soul may inhabit the body of certain
artificial life forms. A force-feedback joystick provides both navigation
and tactile sensations. It serves as a connection between your physical
body and virtual soul. Through the joystick one can feel the "energy" of
the environment as vibrations emanating from certain creatures and significant
places in the virtual world. This work draws on the language of video games
but presents an alternative artistic exploration of behavior and artificial
life.
