The web as a living organism

The www.is-a-living.org project is a net.art installation, by Mushon Zer-Aviv, trying to examine the relationship between internet users, information and the internet itself in the same way we look at the relationship between blood cells, Oxygen and the body itself.

The participants are invited to take part in the installation system.

[1] Each one types in a search string he would like to discuss.

[2] When stepping into the interactive stage, he is joined by a microbe, a digitally-crafted animated avatar. Each microbe projects a unique sound and has a unique style of movement. The microbe is powered by a search engine (at this stage Google, Altavista and Lycos).

[3] In physical space, the interactive stage serves as a screen for a projector that beams from its top. The Microbe, projected upon the user, follows his movements. The search string is projected on the floor right after being submitted.

[4] Stepping on text on the floor with the microbe sends the text to the microbe's search engine and returns the title of the first search result. The new text replaces the old ones and become new triggers for a search. The composition creates a conversation between users using search engines combined with a live interactive music score.

The installation was launched this summer at the OFFF Festival in Valencia (Spain.)
Via NewsToday.