"The Game of Life”

Jacquard woven piece woven by Kristina Austi.
Materials: Wool, polyester.
Size: 135x165 cm
Year of production: 2023

The Game of Life, also known simply as Life, is a cellular automaton devised by the mathematician John Conway in 1970. It is a zero-player game, meaning that its evolution is determined by its initial state and does not require further input.

The pixels, or squares, in this textile work, are not filled following these rules; the pattern is made on a square grid manually, consciously creating the eight-pointed star, so typical in many cultures and found in textile designs all over the World. Our ancestors did not know anything about computers or rules, and still, they used a grid in which they ”engraved” their symbols, assigning meaning to them and following special rules. The main idea was to explain the World to themselves and find the purpose of their existence; the second was for decoration or, for example, protection of their homes. I find it fascinating that similar patterns can be evoked by simple algorithms following logical rules.

Photographer of the work: Kristina Austi.