Emergent Behaviors is an interactive installation that invites viewers to engage directly with the work, shifting participation from observation to active involvement. A large pink silicone creature sits atop a black plexiglass stand accented with neon lighting. Arcade buttons embedded in its feet allow participants to make selections that alter the narrative displayed on a screen within the creature’s face. Beneath its surface, internal servos animate the creature’s legs, giving it a responsive, lifelike presence.

The work draws inspiration from choose-your-own-adventure storytelling, framing the interaction as a journey through a cyberpunk-inflected technological narrative. The experience logic is custom coded, allowing each button press to advance the story along different paths and generate unique narrative sequences. No two participants encounter the same progression, as outcomes emerge through selection, timing, and accumulation of choices.

At once a sculptural artwork and an interactive story, Emergent Behaviors explores agency, control, and co-authorship. Viewers become participants whose decisions shape the unfolding experience, transforming the artwork into a living system rather than a fixed object. Through its blend of physical interaction, narrative logic, and responsive technology, the piece challenges passive modes of viewing and emphasizes participation as a central condition of meaning making.