About Octofungi

Octofungi is an interactive sculpture that
exhibits simple reflexive autonomous behavior,
learns its surroundings and interacts with them.

General Description Octofungi Operation Molding Process Life of Octofungi
Self-Awareness Future Plans Purchasing Information Octofungi's Ancestors Octofungi's Audience

General Description Of Octofungi

Octofungi is a sculpture that stands on a pedestal. The pedestal houses a transformer used to power eight legs and a regulated power supply used to feed the brain and sensors. This is the only external connection to the sculpture; no remote controls or external computers are used in this art piece. All you need to do to use Octofungi is plug it in!

How Octofungi is Used

Octofungi is a reactive piece. It is sensitive to changes in light and reacts upon these changes. To interact with the sculpture, a person only needs to move his hands above the eight light sensors placed around the brain frame. Depending on the "aggressiveness" or "gentleness" of the participant, Octofungi will manifest different behaviors.

In the genetic brain version currently under development, more complex behaviors will emerge as Octofungi learns new patterns associated with sequences of responses. These behaviors will be more subtle and will need more dexterity from the participant since brutal movements will inevitably trigger instinctual reactions. So, being gentle and patient will produce a more surprising and rewarding experience with Octofungi.

Octofungi's Molding Process.

Traditionally, artists try to capture the life of nature through art. With Octofungi, I tried to take this approach one step further by using the brushes of technology. I am attempting to trigger questions about the relationship between animate life and artificially animated objects. I am also trying to persuade people to reexamine our definition of life.

Is life limited to what we know or can it go beyond our present understanding?

Is Octofungi Alive?

Octofungi is quite a complex system but it lacks elements I would consider indispensable to any life form. First it does not look for food. If we consider the intake of energy as eating, Octofungi is fed intravenously, but it does not "know" that it needs to eat and it does not know how to get food. However, plants are also "wired" in a sense to the nutrients in the ground and to the sun's energy. Plants, however, know how to search for these nutrients and energy by moving their roots or leaves closer to the sources.

Although a future version of Octofungi will have a genetically engineered brain, the genetic evolution and sexual reproduction will not be carried out by Octofungi directly, but by an external computer which will simulate specific conditions for a large population of virtual Octofungies. Similarly, some species of fungus emit spores which use the reproductive organs of a host to reproduce. In this respect, Octofungi mimics biological life.

Although Octofungi presents some of the same elements as simple life forms, it still lacks full autonomy. Only Octofungi's behaviors are presently controlled by Octofungi's will. Nonetheless, I believe that the line that separates the living from the inert is more fuzzy than we think.

Is Octofungi Self Aware?

Octofungi's awareness at present is purely instinctual; it has no higher thought processes. It is probably comparable to a non-social insect such as a moth or to a mollusc such as a snail. With the genetic brain currently under development, I hope to reach or exceed the behavioral complexity of a fish.

The Future of Octofungi

Octofungi is currently getting a new brain. As this new brain is genetically engineered, the outcome of the implementation is highly unpredictable, but highly promising. Future sculptures will also benefit from this research and more "living sculptures" are under development. So stay in touch!

Also, for specifics, see the future of Octofungi.

Purchasing Information

Octofungi is for sale. If you are interested you can contact me by fax at 480-991-8547 or e-mail atE-mail us at:

Octofungi's Ancestors

Octofungi is a product of three previous versions. Each successive generation has evolved because of physical constraints such as cost, gravity, and technological availabilities.

For example, one of the last generations of Octofungi was made of a resin that was very appealing aesthetically but failed to satisfy physical requirements. It was too heavy and too brittle to withstand mechanical stresses. The latest design was made of a polyurethane which was not as pleasing as the resin, but the piece was improved aesthetically by a more intricate and lighter structure.

Octofungi's Audience

Although I tried to keep its cost as low as possible, Octofungi is an expensive sculpture because of its technological complexity. Every Octofungi is built in my home studio. Every mechanical, electronic and physical part of Octofungi was developed, assembled and tested under these conditions. Octofungi is not a production-line product, it is a sculpture which was built with love and passion just for the sake of curiosity, aesthetics, and research into the imaginary and into dreams. My only hope is that public places such as galleries and museums will consider purchasing this work so that it can be available to anyone who wishes to interact with Octofungi. However, because Octofungi needs to be trained, a one-on-one relationship is most likely to give the best results and be the most rewarding for art collectors.

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