Barry Tolnas (Seattle, WA)
Genetic Mandalas, 2007
Software installation

The screen shows a population of symmetrical figures. Each individual figure is described by a ‘gene’ (its genotype) which determines what it looks like (its phenotype). In nature, a process called natural selection determines which individuals pass their genes on to the next generation based on their ability to survive and reproduce. In this piece, “aesthetic selection” determines which individuals genes are passed on. Each time a viewers touches a mandala figure, its genes are crossed with five of the other figures. As viewers touch their favorites, the population as a whole evolves over time into (hopefully) more and more aesthetically pleasing individuals. As the tastes of the viewers change, so the population adapts to their aesthetic whims.

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