Animating the Grid: Cellular Automata as Evolving Visual Narratives

This study explores the application of cellular automata in creating dynamically animated murals that engage viewers through evolving visual narratives. Combining cellular automata algorithms with generative art techniques, the mural produces animations inspired by natural forms—such as birds, worms, vines, fire, and human figures—moving across a modular surface. A figure might emerge from one cell, traverse neighboring cells, and vanish, generating a seamless, continuous narrative across the grid. Governed by the cellular automaton’s local rules, each animation’s movement and behavior shift naturally over time, inviting viewers to engage deeply with the mural’s patterns and transformations. This approach merges animation, computational technology, and artistic narrative, presenting cellular automata as an innovative tool for creating immersive, interactive public art. This paper delves into the project’s conceptual foundations, methodology, and outcomes, underscoring the potential of cellular automata to inspire new forms of site-specific, animated compositions.

By Julia Zamboni & Disrael Camargo