Nature Reformed (2017)

Nature Reformed is an installation consisting of two sibling robots.

This project was the result of my research in Genetics for the minor: Research in Immersive Storytelling.

The more we learn about our genome, the more we get to change it. As humans we have always felt the urge to improve ourselves. We have done this since the dawn of our existence, but now we are finally able to redesign our very core. This is an idea that most people find scary and ominous.

What is it that we are so scared of? How much do we have to change until we can't recognise each other anymore? I wanted to discuss the topic by trying to create a new ecosystem of artifical life. Is it possible symphasize with a machine? can we connect with something that isn't alive (or at least a different kind of 'alive')?

I called the final two robots: Beautiful Calamity and Aggressive Calamity. The first was created to reflect the essential instinct of life. Her motions were made to look like breathing. When approached she will abruptly stop and freeze until she is left alone again.

The second one reflects primal instinct. 'Aggresive Calamity's' movements are unpredictable and chaotic. It's arms ressemble claws. When approached it will move furiously until it's left alone again. It will never react exactly the same way since no interaction is the same.

Together they illustrate common aspects of sentience.