The Physarum Experiments - short compilation of studies

The Physarum Experiments: various studies 2009-2018 Artist, Heather Barnett, works with the slime mould, Physarum polycephalum, as material, model and metaphor, investigating the organism’s navigational abilities and seemingly intelligent behaviours. For a single-celled organism without a single neuron to its name, this yellow amoeboid blob can solve complex problems, transfer learning and anticipate events. It is also quite beautiful, the dendritic growth patterns reminiscent of forms seen at varying scales in nature, from blood vessels to tree branches, from river deltas to lightening strikes. Barnett’s films, studies, installations and participatory experiments work with the underlying mechanisms that enable this simple organism to make complex decisions. Her artworks are the product of a negotiation over creative control and authorship with one of the earliest forms of life, and invite us to question our definitions of agency and intelligence across scales. Featuring: Study No. 022: Starvation Fireworks Study No. 019: The Maze (homage to a classic experiment) Study No. 026: Intraspecies Fusion Sound by Graham Barton

• #
• #slime_mould
• #physarum_experiments
• #time_lapse
• #physarum_polycephalum
• #slime_mold
• #bioart
• #biocomputation