EVENT: KEITA TAKAHASHI: ZOOMING OUT (JANUARY 24 - JULY 14 2019, SAVANNAH, GEORGIA)

January 24 - July 14 2019

Telfairs Museum

207 W. York St.
Savannah, GA 31401, USA

Telfairs Museum is hosting a major retrospective on Keita Takahashi between January 24 through July 14, 2019. Curated by Harry DeLorme and subtitled Zooming Out, this first-ever museum survey exhibition of the legendary Japanese video game designer’s work is organized in conjunction with the museum’s annual PULSE Art + Technology Festival. So far there have been a relatively scarce number of exhibitions focusing on single designers (Jason Rohrer comes to mind), which makes Zooming Out even more compelling.

Initially trained as an artist, Takahashi received a degree in Fine Art and Sculpture from Musashino Art University in Tokyo. At the beginning of his professional career, he was hired as a design artist at Namco, where he became the lead developer of Katamari Damacy, a now-iconic game that won awards, spawned sequels, influenced popular culture beyond the game world, and was one of the first video games acquired for the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.

The exhibition highlights Takahashi’s outside-the-box approach to game development, game mechanics, aesthetics, and music. Included will be playable versions of all of Takahashi’s major games, such as the original Katamari Damacy and its newly remastered edition, KatamariDamacyREROLL, We Love Katamari, Noby Noby Boy, and the eagerly awaited Wattam (Developer: Funomena, Publisher: Annapurna Interactive). In addition to his major game releases, the exhibition includes several of his independent games and collaborative installations, including Tenya Wanya Teens, operated with two 16-button controllers, and a reimagined, immersive take on the classic game PAC-MAN (with Clement Shimizu and Babycastles). The artist’s early sculpture work, animations, and playground designs will also be on view.

Telfair Museums