Alexander Shorokhov
i(dentity)Script

An interactive installation featuring a MIDI keyboard where the keys have been replaced with 3D figures that resemble proteins. They are of varying color and form and correspond to six functional categories displayed on the screen. The white buttons allow the user to “mutate” a selected protein, with each operation transforming its qualities. The red button starts a script that recalculates the structure and adds the new shape to the virtual gallery.

The exhibit explores how identity is shaped through small alterations. Proteins are key molecules in our body: they define tissue structure, transmit signals and participate in immune response. While only a small portion of the genome is dedicated to coding proteins, the latter are traditionally used to help establish an organism’s biological identity. This makes each mutation a defining event, since small alterations have major consequences.

The project draws parallels between proteins and usernames. In digital environments, a short name is given a disproportionately great significance: it shapes the user’s image and how they are perceived in the eyes of others. A protein is no different. It is a compact structure that defines function. Using procedural logic and a shape prediction script, this work connects biology and platform culture, where complex identities, while remaining in flux, are shrunk down to a line in a database.