Lifeforms are NFT-based entities. Like any living thing, lifeforms need regular care in order to thrive. If not properly looked after, lifeforms die.

A lifeform that has died will no longer appear in wallets, is not transferable, and cannot be brought back to life in any way. How do you care for a lifeform?

Within 90 days of receiving it, you must give it away.

Lifeforms were created in Sept 2021 by Sarah Friend, and remained on open mint on Polygon until late 2024. 225 lifeforms were created in total, of which around 25 are still alive. 265 unique accounts were involved in caring for lifeforms, resulting in 436 acts of giving.

In Sept 2024, Friend launched an interaction where a lifeform older than 1 year could cross the bridge to Ethereum mainnet. At this time, 3 lifeforms have cross the bridge. She also launched a free mint called Memoryforms available to everyone who cared for a lifeform between their launch and March 6, 2024. Memoryforms are shaped by your interactions with Lifeforms, and can be thought of as a kind of memorial for the project. Both interactions are available here and viewable on Opensea (Memoryforms and Deathforms).

Lifeforms have been installed physically and digitally at many places and in many contexts, and it's impossible to thank everyone involved in this endeavour, but Simon Denny and Bettina Steinbrügge were instrumental to giving the project its first exhibition at the Kunstverein in Hamburg, Dre Roelandt assisted with the fabrication of the first three lifeform forms, and conversations with Marie Claire LeBlanc Flanagan were key to the project's conceptual germination. The team of Hypha Coop (who care for Roo) provide an example of collaborative lifeform parenting which should be an inspiration to us all. And the team at IDEO's Creative Residency supported the production of the project's closing interactions.

Perhaps most deserving of thanks are the Lifeforms themselves, who willing went into your care again and again and again with perfect trust.