OCTOPUS is an interactive video system which explores how we relate to space, are constrained by it, adapt to it and are influenced by the world outside and inside us. This installation consists of a digitized virtual character projected onto a kinetic structure holding a see-through membrane of narrow vertical slats. The projected character makes us aware of our own space and how it changes as we mingle and mix with other people, objects and environments. Through direct interaction visitors experience up to three modes of communication triggered by reed switches and infrared sensors placed strategically within Octopus' environment. As the structure and character awaken, moving from a state of calm to extreme agitation, then back to stillness, the installation elicits reflections on how our associations and interactions with others are influenced by the self portrait of the unique space we occupy.