Emergent Behaviors is an interactive installation that shifts viewers from observation to direct participation. A large pink silicone creature rests on a black plexiglass stand accented with neon lighting. Arcade buttons embedded in its feet allow participants to make selections that alter a narrative displayed on a screen within the creature’s face. Internal servos animate its legs, producing subtle physical responses that reinforce its presence as an interactive entity.

Drawing from branching narrative structures, the work operates through a custom coded logic system. Each button press advances the story along diverging paths, generating distinct narrative progressions shaped by selection, timing, and accumulated decisions. No interaction unfolds identically, as outcomes emerge through participant input.

At once sculptural interface and narrative system, Emergent Behaviors examines agency, control, and distributed authorship. Participation becomes structural rather than optional, positioning the viewer as a co-creator within a responsive, evolving framework. Through the integration of physical form, interactive code, and narrative design, the installation functions as a living system rather than a static object.