Creating Monsters

Despite recent bio-art practices influencing nature in questionable ways, these studies do not use computational means to achieve results. Through the use of programming, many attempts have been made to imitate organic life forms. Some use robotic mechanisms to simulate the movements of living creatures while others draw pixels to recreate formations found in nature. Creating Monsters is a satirical representation of modern technical advancements in the field of digital breeding. Written in Java, this program conceals its code through the use of an uncluttered graphical user interface. User input is represented on-screen in the facial features of ‘monsters’. Java’s libraries enable the program to monitor keyboard input. One of the project’s most captivating elements is the tactile interface achieved by customizing a wireless keyboard with fabric. A variety of textures and colours present physical representations of the application’s controls in addition to being fun for one’s fingers.

Inspired by pages of science fiction, scientists are researching methods of producing life through electronic means. Thanks to Creating Monsters, anyone can now participate in creating new life forms at home. Upon launch, a screen with two monsters is loaded. The user may select other monsters, by name, thanks to drop down lists. The selected creatures become parents to the offspring that may soon be born. If the user so desires, pushing the ‘Procreate’ button results in breeding the selected monsters and producing a child. The latter may be named by the user or simply discarded. If the child is named, it is then saved along with its parents for later breeding purposes. As this software mirrors highly advanced laboratories, akin to those in sci-fi scenarios, the user may choose to create a new monster. This option requires the use of the tactile interface. Each characteristic of the monster is customized to the user’s liking. Once a name is given, the monster joins the others, ready for procreation.

The actions performed by the user in Creating Monsters perpetuate the perception that humans are an all-powerful authority figures over life forms. The monsters can only breed semi-autonomously as a human is required to initiate the activity. Users attain a god-like state while producing the creatures from scratch. Though it is simple to operate, the software’s output is satisfying as it suggests to users that they have the required expertise to give birth without knowledge of complex mating rituals or the underlying software architecture. In addition, the user’s ability to name as well as discard child monsters reinforces their developing God complex.