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Dominic FikeSlime Animation
2023







I spent a month culturing physarum polycephalum (slime mold).

This was cultured inside a CD case by spreading warm agar across the bottom of the case and feeding the slime lots of oat pieces. Once it gets really hungry it starts to spread intensely.

I scanned at an interval of 5-15 minutes for several days. It is essentially a timelapse where I guided the slime to grow in certain shape.
Creative Direction by Jack Begert and Reed Bennet
Animation Assistance: Enoch Ncube
Thank you Toko Hosoya



First I had to run some tests to understand how to culture and care for the slime. I ordered a kit with agar, petri dishes, and some live physarum polycephalum.








After 4-5 tests, once I figured out how to take care of slime, and approximately how long it takes to grow, I chose a direction and swapped the petri dish for a jewel case.

I scanned on an hourly interval, leaving the slime scanning and growing for days, until it completed its journey around the CD case.



Keep an eye out for slime mold, it comes in many types and you may see some while walking around.



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Nik Arthur (he/him) is a Canadian experimental animator and filmmaker, interacting with organic matter, objects, and physical materials.





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