Game Art: Marco Brambilla's "Halflife"
Marco Brambilla's HalfLife (2002) is one of the most intriguing examples of Game Art that tries to juxatpose virtual and 'real' performances, game spaces and real spaces. Born in Milan - Brambilla is the quintessential milanese's lastname - the artists lives in new York and has been experimenting with video art for more than a decade.
Full description:
HalfLife (Surveillance, Game Engine, & Garden Grove channels), 2002
3-channel DVD, color, sound
09:41 min., loop
Collection IFEMA, Madrid
Collection Metronome Foundation for Contemporary Art, Barcelona
"The multi-channel video installation HalfLife juxtaposes surveillance footage of video gamers in cyber-cafés playing the popular video game, ‘Counter-Strike’, with a live video feed of the game they are playing. The surveillance channel shows their expressions from the cross-hairs’ point-of-view while the game engine channel captures their virtual actions inside the game-world. The virtual world of ‘Counter-Strike’ is re-photographed from a live video feed from each player’s point of view as they play against each other in the same environment or “map”. The gamers’ actions are recorded as they engage each other in various missions: when a character is killed off in the game, the corresponding surveillance footage of the real player disappears. The third channel films the players in a cyber-café in Garden Grove, California, where video surveillance systems were implemented by the City Council in 2004 in order to monitor the increase in gang violence." (Marco Brambilla)
HalfLife (Surveillance & Game Engine channels), 2002. Installation view Christopher Grimes Gallery, Santa Monica, 2002
[Images & text: courtesy of Marco Brambilla]
Link: Halflife