Nematodes (Caenorhabditis elegans) explore microscopic sculptures. The sculptures can roughly be divided into four groups: Meditations are based on walking meditations, they have one route only; Decisions are star- or grid-like structures where the worms have choices about where to explore; Duets are two interlocking or nearby paths that don't allow passage between them—worms in each side can perhaps sense each other, but can not touch; and Structures are representational designs such as the man and woman copied from the Pioneer spacecraft and the outlines of worms.
The resulting images and videos are again divided into time periods: Early Stage images are of only a few worms recently placed in a sculpture; Medium Stage images are taken after a few days to a week, when the worms have bred and the paths are getting crowded with worms and detritus; and Late Stage images are taken after a few weeks, when the spaces inside the structure have become completely clogged and various microorganisms have started to grow alongside the worms.
The sculptures are made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) using photolithographic techniques. All the shading is bacteria, archaea, fungi, and worm detritus.
