GAMESCENES

CFA: MAGIC CIRCLES: A LABORATORY OF VIRTUAL WORLDS (DEADLINE: JULY 1 2024)

MAGIC CIRCLES - A laboratory of virtual worlds
Online, Sep-Nov 2024
CAD$1000 + production support for participating projects
Read the full call and apply by July 1 2024

Seeking to investigate virtual worlds in all their wealth and diversity, the Magic Circles laboratory program invites practitioners from different areas to engage in an eight-week cycle of online discussions, tours, and experiments. We are looking for projects at any stage of development that explore the possibilities (and shortcomings) of virtual worlds. The laboratory is conceived as a sort of horizontal production residence, through which participants will be encouraged to support and guide each other in their online spaces of choice. Participating projects will receive a CAD$1000 stipend. Ad hoc production support may also be available on a case-by-case basis.

EXAMPLES OF ELIGIBLE PROJECTS INCLUDE

- Surveys of in-world ecosystems, economies, cultures, and communities;

- Development of world-specific interactive content (games, puzzles, automata, Turing-complete computers, Rube Goldberg machines, etc);

- Creation of in-world artworks and performances of any kind (sculpture, installation, exhibition, theater, concerts, etc.);

- In-world photography and filmmaking practices (video essays, fiction, experimental, etc.);

- Pocket and purpose-built worlds in private servers;

- Development or détournement of control/sensorial interfaces (accessibility hacks, mocap systems, teledildonics, etc.);

- Archaeology of defunct or discontinued platforms (MUDs, Habbo hotel, Club Penguin, The Palace, etc.).

And some virtual worlds we hope to explore include but are not limited to Second Life, VR Chat, Cluster, Minecraft, Roblox, Fortnite, World of Warcraft, EVE Online, Elder Scrolls Online, Red Dead Online, and what have you.

TO APPLY, please submit 1. a CV and/or portfolio; and 2. a cover letter outlining the virtual world-related project you are currently developing (max 500 words) to the address [email protected] by July 1. If you want, you may also submit additional materials about your proposed project in the form of links in the email body.

Magic Circles is committed to the diversity of publics as well as to free and open methodologies. The lab is supported by the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council’s MetaMetaverse project and the Zentrum für Netzkunst.

Magic Circles is directed by Dr.Gabriel Menotti and produced by Dr.Sojung Bahng. 

LINK: MAGIC CIRCLES

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: PROJECT SPACE AT VISUAL STUDIES WORKSHOP (ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, DEADLINE: APRIL 5 2024)

Image: Joel Dow in the Project Space at VSW

 

Image: Re: The Operation, video sculpture, 2019. © Peggy Ahwesh.

 

Call for Applications: Project Space at Visual Studies Workshop

 

Visual Studies Workshop (Rochester, NY, USA) currently has a call for its artist-in-residence program, the Project Space, for Fall 2024 - Spring 2025 residents.

 

Rooted in VSW’s mission to provide support to experimental photo, film, video and new media artists, the goal of the Project Space Residency is to provide time, space, and resources for artists so they can create.

The 4 week residencies are open to artists at any stage of their career and take place at VSW in Rochester, NY. Project Space Residents receive 24/7 access to a private studio, digital printing equipment and an analog darkroom. They also receive a stipend of $1000, plus $250 for supplies, and a $500 travel budget for those traveling from outside the Rochester region.

We provide accessible housing for national/international artists in an apartment within walking distance to VSW. All of our Residents receive the support of VSW’s digital printing technician, program assistants, consultations with curators on staff and research support in VSW’s collections. The Project Space Residency also provides opportunities for artists to engage with the public through public lectures and Open Studios. 

 

Deadline: April 5 2024

 

More info      

 

Application

 

via Nilson Carroll

CALL FOR ENTRIES: FILE FESTIVAL 2024 (DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 10 2024, BRAZIL)

FILE Call for Entries 2024 – Electronic Language International Festival

The FILE Call for Entries 2024 is officially open! This is an extraordinary opportunity for artists and technologists to showcase their innovative and original works at the prestigious Electronic Language International Festival – FILE.

FILE 2024 seeks to explore the intersection of art and technology, inviting submissions from both Brazilian and international artists. The curators are looking for groundbreaking works in a variety of categories:

- Interactive Installations: Engage the audience with immersive and interactive experiences.
- Sound Art: Explore the boundaries of music and sound in the digital era.
- Video Art: Push the limits of storytelling through moving images.
- Robotics: Blend art with robotics to create dynamic and thought-provoking pieces.
- Animations: Bring your digital narratives to life with cutting-edge animation techniques.
- Virtual Reality: Offer a glimpse into alternate realities with innovative VR experiences.
- Augmented Reality: Blend the digital and physical worlds in creative ways.
- Games: Craft interactive experiences that merge artistry with gameplay.

This festival is not just an exhibition but a platform for the fusion of art and technology, fostering a community of creative minds who are shaping the future of digital culture. The curators encourage submissions that challenge conventions and offer new perspectives on technology's role in contemporary art.

Submissions are open until February 10th, 2024. Don't miss this chance to be a part of a global community of innovative artists and technologists.

For more information and to submit your work, please visit the official website.

LINK: FILE 2024

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: CINEMATIC AND VIDEOGAME ARCHITECTURE MARCH (LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM)

Joshua Richardson, Ontario, Archipelago, 2023. Digital animation.

Cinematic and Videogame Architecture MArch

The Bartlett School of Architecture

University College London,

Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT

United Kingdom

Applications are now open for the 2024 intake of the Cinematic and Videogame Architecture MArch course at the Bartlett School of Architecture, based at UCL’s brand new UCL East campus.

The first programme of its kind in the UK, the Cinematic and Videogame Architecture MArch course teaches students to employ innovative architectural design methods using cinematic, animation and gaming technologies. Students will critically situate their work in relation to new developments in time-based digital media and how they shape our culture, identity and politics.

What is the programme’s focus
Architecture has a long history of acting as an underlying structuring device for both film and videogames. From the construction of film sets to developments in film compositing techniques and innovations in computer graphics, the depiction of space has been a key challenge in arriving at our contemporary media landscape of film and videogames. In turn, the narrative and storytelling power of time-based and interactive media are reshaping not only how architecture is constructed and represented, but also how it is conceived and experienced.

How will the programme be delivered
Taught by internationally renowned experts in cutting-edge digital technologies, the programme is based at UCL’s new campus, UCL East, occupying new state-of-the-art design studio and computation facilities alongside shared specialist media and workshop spaces. The programme is founded on a strong and experimental practice-led studio element, where practical learning is supported by robust theoretical research. Students engage with theoretical concepts through lectures and introductory design projects, supported by digital skills modules.

This cross-disciplinary approach allows students to test ideas and invent new research methods, leading to the production of architectural design projects that are developed and realised through films, video games and hybrid digital-physical environments.

The programme is led by Prof Penelope Haralambidou and Dr Luke Caspar Pearson. Penelope’s teaching and research employ an innovative practice-led methodology that uses, drawing, modelling, digital film and immersive environments to investigate spatial culture. Luke is co-founder of You+Pea, a design research studio working between architecture and videogames that collaborates with cultural and educational institutions alongside industry clients, and is the co-author of Videogame Atlas (Thames & Hudson, 2022).

How will the programme equip people for future careers
Students gain technical skills and explore time-based, storytelling and interactive media as new platforms for engaging with the design and production of space, from the domestic to the urban. Graduates develop advanced skills applicable in the fields of architecture and architectural visualisation, and gain expertise that can form the foundation for careers in immersive environments, film and videogame industries. Through regular visits by academic and industry experts, graduates will  understand how to position and present their work for future careers in many different creative disciplines.

Who should apply
We are looking for applications from graduates and professionals from architecture, but also from other backgrounds – including design, filmmaking, film studies, anthropology, geography, fine art, videogame design, graphic design, animation and computer-generated imagery design – who are interested in studying the relationship between architecture, cinema and videogames, and show evidence of a strong record both academically and/or in practice.

Applications close on April 5, 2024.

Find out more: Cinematic and Videogame Architecture programme page

CALL FOR ART: FU:BAR (DEADLINE: AUGUST 10 2023)

/’fu:bar/ is an annual program focused on electronic experiments and research in contemporary error-themed digital art theory and practice.

/’fu:bar/ 2023 is focused on the practices and value of DIY – Do it yourself, but for others with&//in art SOFTWARE | METHODS | ARCHIVES | COMMUNITIES | THEORY and other relevant facets of our shared contemporary electronic culture.

This call is open to on-topic or general error-themed glitch work. The work can be submitted into 3 categories:

• MEDIA ART
• MEDIA THEORY
• SOFTWARE CODE

Exhibition applications (extended) deadline: August 10th 2023
Exhibition selection announcement: September 2023
Event program: Oct 7th – 13th 2023 @ MaMa / Zagreb & online

Festival website: https://fubar.space
Inquiries contact: [email protected] 

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Fubar is a project by the Format C Artist Organization. It’s supported by a number of collaborating authors and participating artists, as well as many program and media partners. The event program is financially supported by the Kultura nova Foundation, the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, the City of Zagreb as well as many glitch art supporters over the years.

LINK: /’fu:bar/ 2023

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

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS 2023: CINEMATIC AND VIDEOGAME ARCHITECTURE MARCH AT THE BARTLETT SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, UCL (LONDON)

Jerome Ng, Metabolist Regeneration of a Dementia Nation, 2019

Cinematic and Videogame Architecture MArch program

The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL
22 Gordon St
London WC1H 0AY
United Kingdom

The first programme of its kind in the UK, the Cinematic and Videogame Architecture MArch course teaches students to employ innovative architectural design methods using cinematic, animation and gaming technologies. Students will critically situate their work in relation to new developments in time-based digital media and how they shape our culture, identity and politics.

What is the programme's focus
Architecture has a long history of acting as an underlying structuring device for both film and videogames. From the construction of film sets to developments in film compositing techniques and innovations in computer graphics, the depiction of space has been a key challenge in arriving at our contemporary media landscape of film and videogames. In turn, the narrative and storytelling power of time-based and interactive media are reshaping not only how architecture is constructed and represented, but also how it is conceived and experienced.How will the programme be delivered
Taught by internationally renowned experts in cutting-edge digital technologies, the programme will be based at UCL's new campus, UCL East, and make use of new, state-of-the-art facilities with shared specialist media and workshop spaces. The programme is founded on a strong and experimental practice-led studio element, where practical learning is supported by robust theoretical research. Students will engage with theoretical concepts through lectures and introductory design projects, supported by digital skills modules.

This cross-disciplinary approach allows students to test ideas and invent new research methods, leading to the production of architectural design projects that are developed and realised through films, video games and hybrid digital-physical environments.

The programme will be led by Prof Penelope Haralambidou and Dr Luke Caspar Pearson. Penelope's teaching and research employ an innovative practice-led methodology that uses, drawing, modelling, digital film and immersive environments to investigate spatial culture. Luke is co-founder of You+Pea, a design research studio working between architecture and videogames, and the Videogame Urbanism studio which examines how games can help shape the future of cities 

How will the programme equip people for future careers
Students will gain technical skills and explore time-based, storytelling and interactive media as new platforms for engaging with the design and production of space, from the domestic to the urban. Graduates will develop advanced skills applicable in the fields of architecture and architectural visualisation, and gain expertise that can form the foundation for careers in immersive environments, film and videogame industries. Through regular visits by academic and industry experts, graduates will develop an understanding of how to position and present their work for future careers in many different creative disciplines.

Who should apply
We are looking for applications from graduates and professionals from architecture, but also from other backgrounds – including design, filmmaking, film studies, anthropology, geography, fine art, videogame design, graphic design, animation and computer-generated imagery design – who are interested in studying the relationship between architecture, cinema and videogames, and show evidence of a strong record both academically and/or in practice.

Read more: Cinematic and Videogame Architecture programme page