GAMESCENES

EVENT: SILICON VALLEY TALKS: HENRY LOWOOD, REPLAYED (NOVEMBER 14 2023, STANFORD, CALIFORNIA)

Silicon Valley Talks: Henry Lowood, "Replayed"
November 14, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm PST
Hohbach Hall Presentation Room, Green Library (East Wing)

Stanford University, Stanford, California

Since the early 2000s, Henry Lowood has led or had a key role in numerous initiatives devoted to the preservation and documentation of virtual worlds, digital games, and interactive simulations, establishing himself as a major scholar in the field of game studies. His voluminous writings have tackled subject matter spanning the history of game design and development, military simulation, table-top games, machinima, e-sports, wargaming, and historical software archives and collection development. Replayed consolidates Lowood's far-flung and significant publications on these subjects into a single volume.

LINK: Silicon Valley Talks: Henry Lowood, "Replayed"

EVENT: PRIDE AT PLAY (JUNE 3-24 2023, MELBOURNE)

Pride at Play celebrates thoughtful queer games

June 3-24 2023, Melbourne Australia

carlisle street arts space, st kilda town hall

9:00am – 4:00pm, Monday to Friday.
10:00am – 3:00pm, Saturday.
Please note the gallery is closed on Sundays.

 

Pride at Play was launched during Sydney WorldPride festival.

 

Don't miss the catalogue curated  by Xavier Ho, Lecturer in Interaction Design, featuring 20 interviews with LGBTQIA+ game designers from Brisbane, Sydney, Newcastle, Melbourne, Christchurch, Auckland, Wellington, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Canada, United States, and Argentina. You can purchase a paperback copy here, or browse the PDF online for free. Every penny goes to three charities focused on the LGBTQIA+ community in Australia and the Asia Pacific. This includes Oogachaga (Singapore), Human Rights Watch Malaysia, and the Black Rainbow (First Nation Australians).

LINK: Pride at Play

 

EVENT: THE PRIVILEGE OF PLAY: CONNECTING GAMES AND RACE IN THE 20TH CENTURY (JUNE 9 2023, STANFORD)

Aaron Trammell

The Privilege of Play: Connecting Games and Race in the 20th Century

Friday, June 9, 2023
4pm to 5pm PT
Hohbach Hall, 123
557 Escondido Mall, Stanford, CA 94305

The Silicon Valley Archives will host an online version of this talk via Zoom on June 9, 2023, at 10:00 am PDT. To register for the online version of this talk, please RSVP here. The in-person talk will be held in Hohbach Hall on June 9, 2023, at 4:00 pm PDT. To register for the in-person version of this talk, please RSVP here. 

The histories of race and games in the 20th century have long been siloed. Popular histories of games often render invisible the race of the white men that they celebrate, thus inviting readers to take for granted the somewhat homogenous demographics of the games industry. Far from being coincidental, I argue that race has been central to the history of games. I will present historical research in this talk that shows how the early leaders of the game industry were able to thrive due to their community ties. I term these white communities "networks of privilege" and offer evidence for how these networks developed of the course of the 20th century and used dog whistles to keep BIPOC people out. Thus, in this talk I will foreground how the invisible politics of whiteness have shaped the history of games itself. 

Aaron Trammell is an Assistant Professor of Informatics at UC Irvine. He is interested in how tabletop games further values of white privilege and hegemonic masculinity in geek culture. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Analog Game Studies and the co-editor for the Tabletop Gaming series at University of Michigan Press. He has two books Repairing Play (2023 MIT Press) is a theory of play that centers BIPOC people and The Privilege of Play (2023 NYU Press) is a history of games and race in the 20th Century.

LINK: The Privilege of Play

LINK: Aaron Trammel

EVENT: SILICON VALLEY TALKS: ATARI DESIGN (MAY 2 2023, STANFORD, USA)

Silicon Valley Talks: Atari Design

Sponsored by Stanford Universities Library

Tuesday, May 2, 2023
12pm to 1pm PT

Free and open  to the public

Hohbach Hall, 123
557 Escondido Mall, Stanford, CA 94305
View map

press release

Join the Silicon Valley Archives in welcoming author Raiford Guins as he and the Harold C. Hohbach Curator for the History of Science and Technology Collections, Henry Lowood, discuss his latest book, Atari Design: Impressions on Coin-Operated Video Game Machines.

Drawing from deep archival research and extensive interviews, Atari Design is a rich, historical study of how Atari's industrial and graphic designers contributed to the development of the video game machine. You may purchase a copy of the book here.

Raiford Guins is Chair and Professor of Cinema and Media Studies in the Media School at Indiana University, Bloomington. He is the author of Game After: A Cultural Study of Video Game Afterlife (MIT Press, 2014) and Atari Design: Impressions on Coin-Operated Video Game Machines (Bloomsbury, 2020). Guins is currently writing a book on the popularity of the English Premier League in the US. He co-edits MIT Press's Game Histories Book Series with Henry Lowood.

 

Read more: Atari Design @ Stanford

CALL FOR ARTWORKS: THE ART OF GAMES IN GREECE 2023

The Athens Digital Arts Festival (ADAF) and the Game Developers Association of Greece (GDA Greece) are organizing The Art of Games in Greece (A.G.G.) 2023, inviting creators to reimagine digital games in Greece.

This joint project aspires to promote game development in Greece and contribute to the recognition of digital game as a form of contemporary art while encouraging creators and audiences to engage in this field. A.G.G. consists of three complementary parts: the “Crown” and “Blossoms” competitions, and the “Pollen” series of seminars and workshops.

The competition section is focused on games related to the theme of ADAF 2023, “Welcome to the Uncanny”. Both competitions are exclusively for digital games made in Greece, accessible from computers. Winners and finalists, selected by a five-member jury, will exhibit their works on the festival’s online platform, where the audience can play and vote for their favorite games.

CROWN
Crown invites developers with existing games, which they have already announced or published, related to the theme “Welcome to the Uncanny” to submit them through the relevant form to claim mentions and promotion on the festival’s online platform during the event.

BLOSSOMS
Blossoms invites developers to create new games inspired by the theme of ADAF 2023 and claim a cash prize of €1000, in addition to the awards and the promotion on the online platform of the festival.

POLLEN
Pollen, the educational component of A.G.G., consists of a series of sessions aimed at introducing new creators to game development by established professionals in the field. These sessions will be freely accessible on the festival’s online platform.
The detailed program of Pollen will be announced soon.

 •••

The Athens Digital Arts Festival and the Game Developers Association of Greece are working together to highlight the digital game as a work of art. The Art of Games in Greece aspires to create a new point of interest for the development of digital games in Greece and promote them both locally and internationally.

Find more information click here

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*/ The Art of Games in Greece 2023: Κάλεσμα Συμμετοχής

Το διεθνές φεστιβάλ ψηφιακών τεχνών της Ελλάδας, Athens Digital Arts Festival (ADAF) και ο Σύλλογος Δημιουργών Ψηφιακών Παιχνιδιών Ελλάδος (GDA Greece) διοργανώνουν το The Art of Games in Greece (A.G.G.) 2023 και καλούν τους δημιουργούς να επανοραματιστούν το ψηφιακό παιχνίδι στην Ελλάδα.

Η κοινή αυτή δράση φιλοδοξεί να προωθήσει τη δημιουργία ψηφιακών παιχνιδιών (game development) στην Ελλάδα και να συμβάλει στην ανάδειξή τους ως μορφή σύγχρονης τέχνης, παροτρύνοντας συγχρόνως δημιουργούς και κοινό να εμπλακούν με το πεδίο των ψηφιακών παιχνιδιών. Το A.G.G. απαρτίζεται από τρία συμπληρωματικά μέρη: τους διαγωνισμούς “Crown” και “Blossoms”, και τη σειρά σεμιναρίων και workshops “Pollen”.

Το διαγωνιστικό κομμάτι αφορά σε παιχνίδια που σχετίζονται με την θεματική του ADAF 2023 “Welcome to the Uncanny”. Και οι δυο διαγωνισμοί είναι αποκλειστικά για ψηφιακά παιχνίδια made in Greece, προσβάσιμα από ηλεκτρονικούς υπολογιστές. Νικητές και φιναλίστ, που θα επιλεγούν από πενταμελή κριτική επιτροπή, θα εκθέσουν τα έργα τους στην διαδικτυακή πλατφόρμα του φεστιβάλ όπου το κοινό θα μπορεί να παίξει και να ψηφίσει τα αγαπημένα του παιχνίδια.

CROWN
Tα Crown προσκαλούν developers με ήδη ανακοινωμένα ή δημοσιευμένα παιχνίδια που σχετίζονται με τη θεματική “Welcome to the Uncanny” και διαθέτουν δωρεάν demos να τα καταθέσουν μέσω της σχετικής φόρμας για να διεκδικήσουν μνείες και προβολή στην διαδικτυακή πλατφόρμα της διοργάνωσης κατά την διάρκεια του φεστιβάλ.

BLOSSOMS
Tα Blossoms καλούν τους developers να δημιουργήσουν νέα παιχνίδια που εμπνέονται από τη θεματική του ADAF 2023 και να διεκδικήσουν χρηματικό έπαθλο της τάξης των 1000€, επιπρόσθετα με τα βραβεία και την προβολή των έργων στην online πλατφόρμα του φεστιβάλ.

POLLEN
Tο Pollen, το εκπαιδευτικό τμήμα της διοργάνωσης, θα αποτελείται από μία σειρά συνεδριών με σκοπό την εισαγωγή νέων δημιουργών στην παραγωγή ψηφιακών παιχνιδιών (game development) από καταξιωμένα άτομα του χώρου. Οι συνεδρίες αυτές θα είναι προσβάσιμες δωρεάν στην διαδικτυακή πλατφόρμα της διοργάνωσης.
Το αναλυτικό πρόγραμμα του Pollen θα ανακοινωθεί σύντομα.

 •••

Το Athens Digital Arts Festival και ο Σύλλογος Δημιουργών Ψηφιακών Παιχνιδιών Ελλάδος συνεργάζονται για να αναδείξουν τα ψηφιακά παιχνίδια ως καλλιτεχνικά έργα. Το The Art of Games in Greece φιλοδοξεί να δημιουργήσει έτσι μια νέα κοιτίδα ενδιαφέροντος για την ανάπτυξη του ψηφιακού παιχνιδιού στην Ελλάδα και την προώθησή τους τόσο σε εγχώριο όσο και διεθνές επίπεδο.

Περισσότερες πληροφορίες για τη συμμετοχή σας μπορείτε να βρείτε στο online.adaf.gr/GDA_the_art_of_games_in_greece_2023

EVENT: SCREEN IMAGES. IN-GAME PHOTOGRAPHY, SCREENSHOT, SCREENCAST (BOOK PRESENTATION, PERFORMANCE, FESTIVAL, DECEMBER 10 2022, BERLIN, GERMANY)

Screen Images. In-Game Photography, Screenshot, Screencast

Edited by Winfried Gerling (Hg.), Sebastian Möring (Hg.), Marco De Mutiis (Hg.)

Release date: December 2022

Publisher: Kadmos Berlin

Pages: 376

ISBN 978-3-86599-535-3

 

This volume examines historical and contemporary image practices and phenomena, including screenshots, screen photography, screencasts and in-game photography. The individual chapters pose questions relating to the status, ontology and aesthetics of such practices and phenomena and also analyse their cultural and artistic significance. Artistic works explore these questions in the form of various image practices. The authors and artists investigate the potential for a new area of research at the intersection of a range of disciplines, such as media studies, media aesthetics, media history, image studies, photography theory, game studies, media art and game art. As one of the first publications to address these phenomena, this book speaks to a varied audience in the realms of media studies, game studies and cultural studies as well as to members of the general public interested in historical and contemporary practices associated with visual and digital media.

The book presentation is scheduled for December 10, 2022 at 11:15 am (Berlin time) at C/O Berlin, Amerika Haus, Hardenbergstraße 22-24, 10623 Berlin

Following the presentation, the In-Game Photography Competition "Who Did It Better in In-Game Photography World Championship 2022" will take place at 12:30 pm.  Jon Uriarte (Photographer’s Gallery London) and Marco De Mutiis (Fotomuseum Winterthur) will present artistic projects that have been created using in-game photography. They will select the best ones together with the visitors by addressing questions of photorealism, simulation and photographic practices in video games:

The book presentation and online performance are part of the first annual program of C/O Digital festival, which takes place at the Amerika Haus, Hardenbergstraße 22-24, 10623 Berlin on Dec 9 and 10, 2022.

In the context of talks, workshops and participatory events, visitors are invited to partake and join in the discussion of the questions raised in 2022. C/O Digital’s annual theme was New Values, focusing on the redefinition of the term ‚value’ beyond the market, and the use of gaming strategies to rehearse worlds grounded on the different understandings of value. Ayoung Kim, Debbie Ding, and Keiken, from the incubator program have challenged the term value through artistic research in exchange with their mentors Geert Lovink, MetaObjects, and The New Design Congress. Their artistic projects will be on view at C/O Berlin.

All events are presented in English. Free admission More about the program online at C/O Digital

LINK: Book page

LINK: Book presentation details

LINK: In-Game Photography Competition "Who Did It Better in In-Game Photography World Championship 2022

LINK: C/O Digital 2022

BOOK: FEDERICO SOLMI: ESCAPE INTO THE METAVERSE (2022)

 

The idiosyncratic artistic practice of Italian expat Federico Solmi is the subject of a new monograph from Black Dog Press. Entitled Federico Solmi. Escape into the Metaverse, it features contributions by Cleveland Johnson, Lawrence Weschler, Eleanor Heartney, and TokenAngels. Solmi was born in Bologna, Italy in 1973 and subsequently moved to New York. Around 2003, he began to experiment with video game and digital  technology, fascinated by the world-building possibilities of 3D  graphics, which he saw as a tool to create bizarre video animations mixing drawings and paintings. Federico Solmi. Escape into the Metaverse will be released in October.

 

You can pre-order the book here.

 

Read more about Federico Solmi

EVENT: OASIS: THE VIDEOGAME EXHIBITION (JUNE 15 - JUNE 2022, MADRID, SPAIN AND ONLINE)

Oasis. The videogame exhibition 

 

Curated by María Luján Oulton – David Alonso – Sergio Reyes

 

ESNE University in Madrid, Spain

 

97, Avenida de Alfonso XIII, in Distrito de Chamartín

June 15 - June 20 2022

The exhibition showcases 24 international games grouped into 4 nodes. It is accompanied by a program of round tables (Friday the 17th), a Makey Makey workshop (Saturday the 18th), a cicle of documentaries (Sunday the 19th) and a reading space which aims to give an intro to the local scene of gamestudies in Spain.

As curator María Luján Oulton writes:

I also wanted to invite you to listen to the round tables that will be taking place tomorrow Friday 17th and will be live streamed via youtube The sessions will be in English with local and international speakers. The topics will be: Museum & Videogames, Affect & play, Artgames curators and festivals, Videogames, activism and politics, Postmortem clinic. 

Click here to read the curatorial text in Spanish and English

LINK: OASIS

EVENT: PASCAL GRECO, PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEO GAMES (MAY 21 2022, GENEVE, SWITZERLAND)

The Centre de la photographie Genève

Pascal Greco’s Performance

Schedule: 6:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m.

Discussion with Pascal Greco and Danaé Panchaud

Schedule: 9:00 p.m.

Centre de la photographie Genève
Bac — Bâtiment d’art contemporain
28, rue des Bains,
CH — 1205 Genève

The Centre de la photographie Genève explores the changes in the practice of photography in the era of "virtual" worlds, during an evening devoted to in-game photography, a technique consisting of taking photographs in a video game. As we spend more and more time in digital spaces, on social networks, in metaverses or games, new forms of "photographic" documentation of certain environments, and more particularly landscapes in computer graphics, seem generate growing interest. Throughout the evening, the public will be able to observe the exploration of the photographic potential of the game Death Stranding on PlayStation 5 (on site and on Twitch) with Pascal Greco, performance linked to his Place(s) project which he will talk to us about also during a round table. A digital work produced during the evening, certified in the form of NFT, will be drawn among the public. He will also have the opportunity to experiment with in-game photography on site.

LINK: Pascal Greco

LINK: Photography and Video Games at the Centre de la photographie Genève

REVIEW: RADICAL GAMING AT HEK (WMMNA)

Radical Gaming - Immersion Simulation Subversion

An exhibition curated by Boris Magrini

September 2 - November 14 2021

Opening: Wednesday, 01.09.2021

HeK
House of Electronic Arts Basel
Freilager-Platz 9
CH–4142 Münchenstein/Basel

The international group exhibition Radical Gaming presents a selection of artists who investigate the structures, technologies and aesthetics of a global gaming industry. Their works are characterised by a particularly unconventional approach to employing the immersion and interaction inherent to video games, whose common narratives and stereotypes they subversively undermine.

Artist: Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley, Leo Castañeda, Sara Culmann, Debbie Ding, Keiken, Lawrence Lek, Mikhail Maksimov, Cassie McQuater, Sahej Rahal, Nicole Ruggiero, Jacolby Satterwhite, Eddo Stern, Theo Triantafyllidis, Miyö Van Stenis, Lu Yang

The best review so far is, unsurprisingly, from We Make Money Not Art. Here's an excerpt:

The interactive experiences of this avant-garde sub-genre also differ from mainstream contemporary gaming: instead of being purely adrenaline-fuelled, the rules of engagement involve meditative states, involvement of multiple senses, modified controllers, etc. They deviate from what the industry normally offers/sells. But that doesn’t mean that they are not fun, in their own, strange ways.

Read more at WMMNA

Theo Triantafyllidis, Pastoral, (Video Game), 2019. Exhibition view at HeK (House of electronic Arts Basel), Photo: Franz Wamhof

LINK: Radical Gaming