Organismic Agency describes the capacity of living organisms to act, respond, and shape their environment autonomously, exhibiting behaviors that are not merely reactive or mechanical. It acknowledges that all organisms, from fungi and microorganisms to plants and animals, possess their own intrinsic abilities to influence outcomes, making them active participants rather than passive materials. This perspective questions traditional ideas of control and authorship, highlighting how living systems are interconnected and how new forms and behaviors emerge from their interactions with the world.
Organismic Agency in Art and Design
In the context of bio-design and regenerative art, organismic agency transforms the role of living materials from passive substrates into co-creators of form, texture, and structure. Designers and artists engaging with organisms such as mycelium enter a dialogue with life, establishing conditions, constraints, or patterns while allowing the organism’s autonomous growth to shape the final outcome. The resulting work embodies a negotiation between human intention and biological agency, where form emerges from collaborative, co-evolutionary processes. Recognizing organismic agency encourages a practice that is responsive to ecological, ethical, and material aspects, respecting the capacities and rhythms of living materials, while highlighting the potential of living systems to generate unexpected, expressive, and dynamic aesthetic outcomes.