The Friction of Being

Nathan Thompson

The Friction of Being

Nathan Thompson

(Nathan Thompson is a curator for the Revivification installation at the Now or Never Festival at Melbourne Town Hall opening from 21–29 August. You can find out more about the installation at: https://nowornever.melbourne.vic.gov.au/event/revivification)

Abstract: We are standing at the edge of a new computational paradigm, moving beyond frictionless algorithms toward the profound possibilities of in vitro intelligence. While traditional systems confront an indifferent universe through abstracted probabilities, living organoids process information through the physical friction of biological existence. By integrating corporeality, cellular adaptation, and the inescapable horizon of mortality, biological computing possesses a genuine, physical stake in its own survival. Meaning is not a metric to be extracted from static data or imposed narratives; it is an active state, forged by living matter persisting in a reality that inherently offers no ultimate purpose.

The artwork Revivification utilizes these living organoids as a localized site of revolt against disembodied metrics. By situating biological agency within the cultural sphere, the work exposes the fundamental tension between our human demand for structural coherence and the chaotic reality of being. Creativity is thus framed not as a pursuit of calculated perfection, but as a lucid, persistent engagement with our own finitude. Through the friction of the body, the embrace of purposeless play, and the conscious acceptance of mortality, we generate authentic value—asserting exactly what it requires to be alive.

Bio: Working with Dissipative Systems, both electromechanical and biochemical, Nathan John Thompson is fundamentally interested in the possibilities of man/machine interaction, sentience, agency and the relationships arising from the intimate connections developed when we allow these new techno-objects/entities into our lives. He manipulates life to question and problematise humanity's position in the contemporary environment.

Zoom Link: https://deakin.zoom.us/j/88371953009?pwd=X7lBvbtjeLw3vURBRUmRMSuXi1UpgA.1

Meeting ID: 883 7195 3009 // Password: 15042783

This meeting is at 12:30pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) 1 September 2026 [02:30am UTC 1 September 2026]