Road to Success (2017)

Artificial Life Works
Written By Andrew MacDonald

Photo credit: Jessica Field

The work “Road to Success” is an artificial life project that is about what motivates the agents to find success and to be preoccupied by other things. This version of the work uses the Robert McLaughlin gallery’s permanent collection metadata as the driving force for the agents in the program to find success. Each Agent is modeled from data about each painting in the collection. Each painting tells the agents how driven to success they are by how famous the artist is that they are modeled from. The type of paintings also determine how they choose to navigate the space they live in and where they wish to go on the map in the questions of being “realistic,” desiring emotional experiences, or focusing on nature.

The allegorical map of the project is like a board game that also influences the agents on where to go, what their objectives are and how they are emotionally affected by their experiences which determines what behaviour they take on when exploring their environment. The work is a complex interplay between technology, determination, and freedom of choice to address the larger implications that make our lives complicated. This work is an opportunity to observe the implications of these larger determinant forces in our lives, driving the agents in certain directions and that there is always space to change these trajectories in our individual diversity and autonomy.

Andrew MacDonald

With more than 20 years in marketing leadership, Andrew brings a clarity-first approach shaped by his early career in the non-profit sector. At World Vision Canada, he managed multi-million-dollar campaigns and drove donor retention strategies; later, at Opportunity International Canada, he built an in-house creative team that delivered innovative, cost-efficient marketing across the country.

Those experiences taught him that effective marketing isn’t about flashy tactics — it’s about strategy, efficiency, and measurable ROI. Today, Andrew applies that discipline to help entrepreneurs escape the “marketing swirl,” invest smarter, and grow with confidence through the Kasama Method™.

Clients describe him as a trusted partner who asks the big questions, simplifies complexity, and always walks alongside them with solutions. He’s passionate about blending strategy and technology in ways that make growth achievable for small and mid-sized businesses.

Beyond Kasama, Andrew gives back by advising local charities and serving on community boards. At home in Quinte, he and his wife Katrina are raising two kids — and when he’s not strategizing for clients, you’ll find him planning the next family beach trip or catching up on post-apocalyptic TV shows.

http://www.kasama.ca/
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Conscious Machine (photodynamic Art Generator V1) (2016)