GAMESCENES

EVENT: FILE 2024: QUBIT AI (JULY 3 - AUGUST 25 2024, SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL)

FILE 2024: QUBIT AI

July 3 - August 25 2024

Centro Cultural FIESP

Avenida Paulista, 1313 Em frente a estação Trianon-Masp do Metrô

Bela Vista, São Paulo - SP, 01311-200, Brazil

 

In the heart of São Paulo, at the FIESP Cultural Center, the FILE 2024 festival unfurls a groundbreaking intersection of art and technology through its latest exhibition, QUBIT AI: Quantum Computing and Synthetic Artificial Intelligence. Curated by Ricardo Barreto and Paula Perissinotto, the exhibition, running from July 3rd to August 25th, promises to redefine the boundaries AI-inspired/co-generated digital art.

At the core of QUBIT AI is the revolutionary potential of quantum computing. This avant-garde technology, characterized by quantum superposition and entanglement, introduces novel creative avenues for artists. Barreto and Perissinotto articulate this paradigm shift in their curatorial text, emphasizing that quantum computing heralds an unprecedented frontier for both computer science and the arts.

For the first time, an art exhibition features a fully operational Quantum Computer. This cutting-edge inclusion is complemented by two pioneering Brazilian projects: Quantum Photography by Gabriela Barreto Lemos and Sounding Qubits by Eduardo Reck Miranda. Lemos’ work explores the visual possibilities inherent in quantum phenomena, while Miranda's installation translates the enigmatic behaviors of qubits into an auditory experience.

While quantum computing represents a nascent technological revolution, synthetic artificial intelligence is already reshaping artistic landscapes. Synthetic art, produced through AI in collaboration with human creativity, parallels the radical shifts of early modernity, offering new methods of creation across diverse media.

The exhibition's synthetic art section is divided into four thematic areas: Sound Synthetics, Aesthetic Synthetics, Cinematic Synthetics, and Architectural Synthetics. One of the standout installations, INTERATOR, is a three-dimensional cinema without VR glasses. This immersive experience allows viewers to navigate a space filled with simultaneous synthetic video projections, creating an interactive dialogue between the audience and the art.

Highlighted artists within Sound Synthetics include Dennis Schöneberg, whose works such as Bodydub and Transparenza blend visual and auditory stimuli to craft a multisensory narrative. The Spanish collective Iskarioto's dystopian AI films, paired with AI-generated music, further push the envelope of what synthetic art can achieve.

QUBIT AI’s interactive installations invite visitors to become active participants in the art. Klaus Obermaier's EGO uses the concept of alienation from psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan to distort the viewer's reflection, examining the tension between reality and symbolism. "The Forgettable Art Machine" places the visitor at the nexus of art and technology, turning each interaction into a personalized masterpiece.

Elizabeth Kolbert's influence is evident in Speculative Evolution, Prototype 1, an AI-driven simulator that allows visitors to create new species within a speculative ecosystem. Marc Vilanova’s Cascade immerses viewers in the hidden frequencies of waterfalls, transforming auditory experiences into a sensory exploration of environmental soundscapes.

Seph Li's Everything Before, Everything After transforms collective touch into a dynamic digital painting, capturing the fluidity of interaction in a visual symphony. Holly Herndon’s AI voice model, Holly+, stars in the music video Jolene, featuring Sam Rolfes, which showcases the capabilities of synthetic performers and their impact on contemporary music.

Complementing QUBIT AI, the FILE LED Show 2024 illuminates Fiesp's facade with innovative creations from USP Visual Arts Course and IED São Paulo students. Under the guidance of Dr. Silvia Laurentiz and Daniel Grizando, these collaborations highlight the interdisciplinary nature of design and the transformative power of university partnerships

QUBIT AI at FILE 2024 is not merely an exhibition; it is a visionary journey into the future of art. By integrating quantum computing and synthetic AI, it challenges and expands our understanding of creativity, inviting us to explore the uncharted territories where art and technology converge.

LINK: FILE 2024: QUIBIT AI

EVENT: A SHORT HISTORY OF MAPS IN VIDEO GAMES AND VIRTUAL WORLDS (APRIL 2 2024, STANFORD UNIVERSITY)

There, beyond the borders of codes: a history of game maps and glitches

Tuesday, April 2, 2024
2pm to 4:30pm PT
Green Library, Bing Wing, David Rumsey Map Center
459 Lasuen Mall, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305

Signaling the border of the Western world, the Pillars of Hercules have for centuries been the symbol of the end of the known and the beginning of a mystery that has always attracted humanity: the promise of an elsewhere where the rules of reality were organized by other demiurges. In the age of satellites, traces of this apparently disappeared human feeling survive within the simulacra of the contemporary age: video games. A short history of maps in video games will explore how they have organized and evolved not only to sort out data and orient players, but also to respond to the mysteries of life and the human condition, hiding Easter eggs, surprises, glitches and soliciting obsessions, funny missions and odysseys of entire online communities, demonstrating how, even on the margins of the digital world, the enigmas of the human being continue to survive, multiply and proliferate.

Starting from the research carried out for the film A Stranger Quest, shot inside the David Rumsey Map Center, Andrea Gatopoulos will talk about his journey within the existential folds of the virtual through video-essays, short films and stories orbiting around maps. Andrea Gatopoulos is a film director and producer. His productions have been presented at the most prestigious festivals in the world, including Cannes, Berlinale, Venice, Locarno, Rotterdam and hundreds of other film festivals around the world. His projects address virtual realities, uncanny valleys and criticisms of progressivism, but maintain their intimate, sweet longing for simple feelings.

Register here

LINK: There, beyond the borders of codes: a history of game maps and glitches

EVENT: MMF MMXXIV (MARCH 11-17 2024, MILAN, ITALY)

press release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Milan Machinima Festival MMXXIV unveils groundbreaking programs for 2024 edition

Milan, Italy - The Milan Machinima Festival MMXXIV is thrilled to announce its highly anticipated programs for the 2024 edition, showcasing the best in machinima art from around the world. The festival will feature four unique programs: Auteur Theory, Game Video Essay, Made in Italy, and Slot Machinima.

This year, a concurrent event is FOTOLUDICA, the first Italian conference on in-game photography (March 14-15 2024). Both are free and open to the public.

The Game Video Essay program will present thought-provoking pieces by Cat Bluemke and Jonathan Carroll, Guilhem Causse, Ekiem Barbier, and Quentin L'helgoualc’h, Gina Hara, and Yemen Liu that explore the intersection of gaming and critical analysis. These works delve into the cultural, social, and political implications of video games, offering fresh perspectives on the medium and its impact on society. The program aims to foster a deeper understanding of the potential of video games as a tool for artistic expression and social commentary. The Game Video Essay program will be screened on Thursday March 14, 2024, in the Sala dei 146 (IULM 6).

Made in Italy will celebrate the ingenuity and craft of young Italian machinima artists. This program features three films that showcase unique aesthetics and styles, highlighting the vibrant and thriving Italian machinima art scene. The featured filmmakers, Alberto Calleo, Simone Fiorentino, and Elia "marasma" Strazzacappa, utilize real-time computer graphics engines to craft artworks that challenge traditional notions of cinema and transgress the boundaries between virtual and real-world spaces. Made in Italy will be screened on Friday March 15, 2024, in the Sala dei 146 (IULM 6).

The Auteur Theory program will highlight three exceptional works by leading machinima creators — Jacky Connolly, Lawrence Lek, and Total Refusal — examining the role of the individual artist in shaping the medium. This program celebrates the unique visions and styles of these artists, emphasizing their distinctive contributions to the field of machinima. The Author Theory program will be screened on Friday March 15, 2024 in the Sala dei 146 (IULM 6).

The Contemporary Exhibition Hall will host Slot Machinima, an immersive program featuring eight video installations that will be presented in a loop from March 11-15, 2024, featuring works by renowned artists such as Adonis Archontides, Steven Cottingham, Kara Güt, Thomas Hawranke, Andy Hughes, Carson Lynn, Stephan Panhans and Andrea Winkler, and Bram Ruiter. This special program is designed to immerse viewers in often absurd and deranged virtual environments within the video game imaginary, showcasing the incredible range and depth of avant-garde machinima.

“We are excited to present these groundbreaking programs that showcase the incredible talent and diversity within the machinima avant-garde community,” said festival director Matteo Bittanti. “The Milan Machinima Festival MMXXIV aims to push the boundaries of what is possible with this medium and inspire both artists and audiences alike. Through these four distinct programs, we hope to foster a deeper appreciation for the art of machinima and its potential to shape our understanding of the world around us.”

These year’s submission were judged by an international panel of scholars, critics, artists, and curators: Marco De Mutiis, Henry Lowood, Jenna Ng, and Martin Zeilenger.

The poster of the 2024 edition was designed by artist and musician Babak Ahteshamipour. Babak’s vivid new poster design epitomizes the festival’s ethos of propelling machinima into unmapped creative frontiers. Electrifying colors and fantastical shapes blend gaming visuals with mysterious organic shapes, suggesting unexpected artistic dimensions virtual worlds could unlock.

For more information about the Milan Machinima Festival MMXXIV and its programs, please visit the official website at https://milanmachinimafestival.org

About Milan Machinima Festival:

The Milan Machinima Festival MMXXIV is an annual celebration of the art of machinima, featuring works by established and emerging artists from around the world. The festival aims to promote the creative potential of real-time computer graphics engines and foster a global community of machinima creators and enthusiasts.

Contact:

Artistic director: Matteo Bittanti

Communication Manager: Colleen Flaherty

IULM Eventi: Caterina Angeretti

Directions to IULM University

News:

For updates, follow us on Patreon, Instagram, Twitter/X and the Festival’s website.

More:

Would you like to get involved? Drop us a line!

EVENT: PHOTOGRAPHY IN VIRTUAL CULTURE (MAY 13 - 14 2024, LONDON AND WESTMINSTER, UNITED KINGDOM)

Photography in Virtual Culture

Date: 13th – 14th May 2024, 09:00 – 18:00 BST

Location: University of Westminster, Regent Street Campus & The Photographers’ Gallery, London

Registration: Photography in Virtual Culture

 
The last decade has seen a clear shift in the operational frameworks for the production, dissemination and consumption of photographs in contemporary computerised societies. The representational apparatus of photography is being progressively converted into algorithmic and generative processes through computer automation, connectivity and algorithmic control. Recent developments of AI systems and expanded technologies exponentially transform the possibilities for image making and the ways in which photographic images might be created and used within and beyond virtual space. While this might be exciting times for creators, thinkers and developers, it is also a pivotal moment in the history of photography, with debates taking place about its materiality, social function and essence. Through this conference, we aim to develop a communal discussion, inform critiques and thinking on the making of ‘virtual photography’.

Conference conveners:

Prof. David Bate, Professor of Photography, University of Westminster, UK

Dr Paula Gortázar, Senior Lecturer in Photography, University of Westminster, UK

Programme

Monday, 13th May 2024, 09:00 – 14:00

University of Westminster, Regent Street Campus

9:00 Registration

9:30 Introduction: David Bate and Paula Gortázar

10:00 VIRTUALITY AND THE STILL IMAGE

Peter Ainsworth and Sam Plagerson, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK
The Fractional Space of 3D Computational Images and Ruptures in Visuality

Liat Lavi, Bezalel Academy for Arts and Design, Israel
Ethical Imaginariums and Grassroots Metaphysics

Ziggy Kolker, University of Portsmouth, UK
Chasing the Trace

Panel Discussion and Q&A

11:20 Break

11:40 LIQUID IDENTITIES

Gemma Marmalade, University of Derby, UK
V is for Virtual: ‘Thirst Trap’ Lesbians and Masculine Performativity of TikTok Visual Content

Chu Yinhua, National Taipei University of Education, Taiwan
Beyond the Mirror: Selfie Expression in the Age of Virtual Imaging

Stephanie Hartle, Sheffield Hallam University, UK
‘To Weave the Mirror's Magic Sights’: Mimesis and Posthumanism in the Virtual Selfie

Panel Discussion and Q&A


Monday, 13th May 2024, 14:00 – 18:00

The Photographers’ Gallery, Ramillies Street

14:00 NEW PRACTICES IN VISUAL AND COMPUTATIONAL ART

Roc Herms, Visual Artist, Spain
This is Real, Man!

Juanrie Strydom, Solent University, UK
Disability as a Visual Language: Technology and Accessibility

George Legrady, University of California, USA
Mythic Narratives in MidJourney and Stable Diffusion

Simone Santilli, Visual Artist, Independent Researcher and Educator, Italy Galactic Mine. Photography and Extractivism in the Procedural Universe of No Man's Sky

Panel Discussion and Q&A

15:50 Break


16:10 PERFORMING NETWORKED ARCHIVES

Anshul Roy, Syracuse University, USA
Rage Against the Archive: Institutional Critique through New Media Art

Livia Foldes, Rhode Island School of Design, USA
NSFW Venus: On Classifying Bodies, from Colonial Archives to Machine Learning Datasets

Ochi Reyes, University of Westminster, UK
She Dreamt...

Panel Discussion and Q&A

17:30 Plenary Session

University of Westminster, Regent Street Campus


9:00 Registration

9:30 GENERATIVE POLITICS AND ACTIVISM

Lee Wing Ki, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong
Disobedient Imageries: Netizens and their Critical-political Practices in Hong Kong

Nina Mangalanayagam, HDK-Valand, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Generating the Past

Megan Williams, Journalist, Creative Review, UK
Visualising Unrest in the Age of Generative AI

Basil Al-Rawi, Visual Artist, Independent Researcher and Educator, Ireland
Building a House of Memory: Expanding Iraqi Archive Photos with Oral History and VR

Panel Discussion and Q&A

11:20 Break

11:40 THE MACHINE AS CO-CURATOR

Nicolas Malevé, Aarhus University, Denmark
The Exhibitionary Complex of Image Generation

Nathalie Dietschy, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
Towards Techno-Worlds: Photography in the Hands of AI Systems

Catherine Troiano, V&A Museum, London
Distilling the Dataset: Ethics and Artistic Practice in Generative Image Cultures

Panel Discussion and Q&A

The Photographers’ Gallery, Ramillies Street


14:00 REBEL ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICES

Catherine M. Weir, Glasgow School of Art, UK

Frankenstein’s Camera: Reflections on Practice Between Photography and AI

Benjamin Mehigan, Royal College of Art, UK

Light Without Heat: The Virtual Reproduction of Wildfire

Adam Brown, London South Bank University, UK

Images in Advance of the State: Photorealistic Architectures after the Blockchain.

Panel Discussion and Q&A

15:20 Break

15:40 EXPANDED VISION AND HYPERSPACE

Alison Bennett, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
The Desire of a Third Dimension in Photography

Jack Lander, Visual Artist, UK
Indexical Encroachment in Semi-Synthetic Landscapes

Giles Price, Visual Artist, UK
Remote Documentary: What is it to Document Virtually?

Panel Discussion and Q&A

17:00 Closing Remarks

full program: Download Conference_Program_Photography_in_Virtual_Culture

LINK: Photography in Virtual Culture

RESEARCH: GAME ENGINE CULTURE(S) (2024)

Theo Triantafyllidis, Radicalization Pipeline, live simulation, 2021 (still) Courtesy of the artist

GAME ENGINE CULTURE(S)

Principal investigators: Matteo Bittanti (Dipartimento di Arti, Media e Spettacolo “Giampaolo Fabris”, Università IULM, Milano), Valentino Catricalà (School of Digital Arts at Manchester Metropolitan University), Paolo Ruffino (Department of Communication and Media, University of Liverpool)

Description: Game engines such as Unity and Unreal Engine have undergone significant evolution over the past decade, transitioning from tools primarily designed for digital video technology to versatile instruments in various creative and scientific domains. Initially conceived for 3D digital simulation, these engines now offer the capability to produce interactive three-dimensional renderings and simulations in a broad range of settings. This transformation reflects the influence of Hollywood's visual effects on disciplines like architecture and fashion, indicating the pervasive impact of contemporary visual culture on the modern film industry.

Unity and Unreal Engine have become indispensable tools for a growing number of contemporary artists. Their advanced computer graphics functionalities enable the creation of intricate virtual worlds, fostering new forms of interaction and artistic expression. These engines are particularly notable in the realm of immersive 3D site-specific installations, where they facilitate experiences of virtual reality and augmented reality. Prominent artists such as Lawrence Lek, Cao Fei, LaTurbo Avedon, Rachel Rossin, Mario Klingemann, Jakob Kudsks Steensen, and Theo Triantafyllidis have leveraged these platforms to pioneer a new expressive tradition in modern and contemporary art, one that is inherently transmedial and transcultural.

However, it's essential to acknowledge the specific aesthetic and commercial interests of leading brands like Unity and Epic Games. Their commitment to simplifying and standardizing the 3D creative process plays a critical role in the industry. By attracting a diverse range of artistic expressions, these game engines foster new paradigms of creativity while navigating the complex interplay between technological innovation and artistic vision.

Ian Cheng, Emissaries, 2015-2017, live simulation, 2022 (still) Courtesy of the artist

Goals: The GAME ENGINE CULTURE(S) research project integrates fieldwork and data collection to examine the role of game engines in contemporary visual culture. This collaboration between Università IULM di Milano, Manchester Metropolitan University, and the University of Liverpool includes panels and workshops aimed at advancing research and exploring the impact of game engines on visual arts, both nationally and internationally.

The first event is on December 1, 2023 at the University of Liverpool, with similar workshops following at IULM and Manchester Metropolitan. These events serve as catalysts for research within the program.

A key outcome is an Italian publication offering original contributions from academics, curators, artists and critics specializing in digital and visual culture. This volume provides an updated overview of art influenced by game engines, including critiques and visions for the field. The publication reinforces IULM's position as a leading research center on digital aesthetics and emerging cultural practices.

The program critically examines game engines' influence on visual arts, considering computer graphics' pivotal role. It addresses crucial questions around authorship, accessibility, and sustainability in digital artistic production.

This international collaboration among IULM, Liverpool and Manchester Metropolitan represents a significant contribution to contemporary art discourse by exploring creative possibilities and conditions of artistic expression within game engines.

The project's primary goal is to critically map the current use of game engines in visual arts. This approach, at the intersection of media studies, game studies, platform studies and contemporary art, involves both analysis and prototype creation under artist and practitioner guidance. The investigation aims to preserve artistic integrity within the global digital ecosystem by engaging artists, curators and critics in comprehensive dialogue.

LINK: GAME ENGINE CULTURE(S)

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English above

GAME ENGINE CULTURE(S)

Team e ricercatori: Matteo Bittanti (Dipartimento di Arti, Media e Spettacolo “Giampaolo Fabris”, Università IULM, Milano), Valentino Catricalà (School of Digital Arts at Manchester Metropolitan University), Paolo Ruffino (Department of Communication and Media, University of Liverpool)

Jakob Kudsks Steensen, Dome of Gated Ecologies, 2017, VR, duration 3 minutes

Descrizione: I motori dei videogiochi come Unity e Unreal Engine si sono evoluti significativamente nell’ultimo decennio: da strumenti pensati esclusivamente per lo sviluppo di videogiochi sono oggi diventati piattaforme versatili onnipresenti nelle arti digitali. Originariamente progettati per snellire lo sviluppo 3D delle simulazioni digitali, questi motori forniscono ora potenti capacità di rendering tridimensionale interattivo e simulazione che sono state adottate da una vasta gamma di settori creativi e di ricerca scientifica. Dagli effetti visivi di Hollywood all’architettura e alla moda, i motori di gioco stanno ora plasmando molteplici aspetti della cultura visiva contemporanea. Unreal Engine e Unity sono diventati strumenti indispensabili per un numero crescente di artisti contemporanei. Queste piattaforme software forniscono funzionalità di computer grafica avanzate che permettono di generare mondi virtuali interattivi e coinvolgenti.
Molti artisti stanno adottando Unreal Engine e Unity per creare installazioni 3D immersive site-specific oppure esperienze in realtà virtuale e aumentata; tra gli esempi più significativi spiccano Lawrence Lek, Cao Fei, LaTurbo Avedon, Rachel Rossin, Mario Klingemann, Jakob Kudsks Steensen, Theo Triantafyllidis e molti altri. In sintesi, il linguaggio interattivo e generativo reso possibile da questi motori sta aprendo inedite traiettorie espressive per l’arte moderna e contemporanea, in direzione transmediale e transculturale.
Tuttavia, attori leader come Unity ed Epic Games veicolano anche specifiche inclinazioni estetiche e interessi commerciali. La promessa di semplificare i processi 3D promuove omogeneità stilistica se applicata acriticamente. In altre parole, i motori di gioco rischiano di appiattire la diversità espressiva artistica nonostante abilitino nuovi paradigmi creativi.

Lawrence Lek, Thetha, CGI video, 12’, stereo sound, 2022 (still) Per gentile concessione dell’artista

Approfondimenti: Il progetto GAME ENGINE CULTURE(S) prevede una ricerca sul campo e la raccolta di dati che si svolgerà simultaneamente presso l'Università IULM di Milano, la Manchester Metropolitan University e la University of Liverpool. In ciascuno degli atenei verranno organizzati panel e workshop per facilitare il dibattito con esperti di rilievo nazionale e internazionale sui temi dell'influenza dei motori di gioco nella cultura visiva contemporanea.
Il primo di questi eventi è previsto per il 1 dicembre 2023 presso la University of Liverpool; successivamente saranno replicati workshop simili presso la IULM e la Manchester Met. Questi incontri fungeranno da catalizzatori di riflessione critica durante il progetto di ricerca.
I risultati della ricerca sul campo confluiranno nella pubblicazione di un volume in lingua italiana che raccoglierà contributi originali non solo degli studiosi delle tre università ma anche di curatori, artisti e critici indipendenti impegnati sui temi del digitale e della cultura visuale. Il volume ambisce a fornire una mappa aggiornata sullo stato dell’arte dell'utilizzo dei motori di gioco nelle arti, individuando sfide critiche e traiettorie future. La pubblicazione costituirà un unicum nel panorama italiano e consoliderà la posizione di IULM quale centro di ricerca all'avanguardia su digitale, estetica e pratiche culturali emergenti.
È dunque giustificata un’analisi critica dell'influenza di queste piattaforme sulle arti visive, considerando il loro ruolo centrale nella computer grafica moderna. In effetti la loro diffusione
solleva interrogativi rilevanti circa autorialità, accessibilità, sostenibilità nella produzione artistica digitalizzata.
Questo progetto di ricerca internazionale tra IULM, University of Liverpool e Manchester Metropolitan University esamina il potenziale a doppio taglio dell’onnipresenza dei motori grafici nell’arte contemporanea. Se da un lato essi espandono le possibilità creative, i loro condizionamenti estetici e funzionali standardizzano anche l'espressione artistica in modi raramente esplorati.
L’obiettivo fondamentale del progetto è mappare criticamente l’uso attuale di questi strumenti nelle arti visive, attraverso un approccio di ricerca che si colloca all’intersezione tra media studies, game studies, platform studies e arte contemporanea. Inoltre, tramite analisi e creazione di prototipi sotto la supervisione di artisti e praticanti, il progetto investiga come preservare l'autorialità artistica all’interno di complessi ecosistemi digitali, coinvolgendo artisti, curatori, critici.

LINK: GAME ENGINE CULTURE(S)

EVENT: GAME ENGINE CULTURES (DECEMBER 1 2023, LIVERPOOL, UK)

Joseph DeLappe, Elegy: GTA USA Gun Homicides, Self-Playing Game Mod/Data Visualization and 1-year Live Stream, 2018-19

 

Game Engine Cultures
December 1st 13:30-17:00
School of the Arts Library
19 Abercromby Square
University of Liverpool
Liverpool L7 7BD, England

Free and open to the public

press release

Co-curated by Paolo Ruffino (Department of Communication and Media, University of Liverpool) and Valentino Catricalà (School of Digital Arts at Manchester Metropolitan University), the workshop is organised as part of the Centre for Culture and Everyday Life (CCEL) in Liverpool.

Game engines such as Unity and Unreal Engine are now ubiquitous tools in the digital arts and are widely used beyond videogame development in fields such as film post-production, architecture, and fashion. The workshop will explore how game engines shape our contemporary visual culture, and how media studies and media arts can analyse and critique their pervasiveness.

The workshop will include talks by:

Joseph DeLappe - games and media artist and Professor of Games and Tactical Media at Abertay University in Dundee, Scotland;

Sandra Youkhana and Luke Caspar Pearson - founders of architecture studio You+Pea and curators of the Videogame Urbanism project at the Bartlett School of Architecture at UCL;

Aleena Chia - Lecturer in Media, Communications and Cultural Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London and researcher investigating automation and platformisation in videogame development;

Vid Simoniti - Lecturer in Philosophy of Art at the University of Liverpool, and researcher in the field of contemporary art, social change, and new technologies.

LINK: Paolo Ruffino, Valentino Catricalà

EVENT: AREAS OF EFFECT: PLANAR SYSTEMS, CRITICAL ROLES, AND GAMING IMAGINARIES (SEPTEMBER 2 2023, LONDON)

Areas Of Effect: Planar Systems, Critical Roles, and Gaming Imaginaries

Symposium and live play sessions

2 Sep 2023, 11:00am - 8:30pm

Part of arebyte 2023/24 programme The Body, The Mind, The Soul

arebyte

Java House, 7 Botanic Square

London City Island E14 0LG

 

press release

Could role playing games hold the potential to forge new communities or serve as tools for activism?

Curated by artist David Blandy and writer Jamie Sutcliffe in association with Strange Attractor Press, Areas Of Effect: Planar Systems, Critical Roles, and Gaming Imaginaries is a one-day symposium on Tabletop Role Playing Games (TTRPGs) with live game sessions.

Forming part of arebyte’s programme The Body, The Mind, The Soul which questions the complex nature of humanity in the realm of technological progress, the event brings together artists, game designers, theorists, and philosophers to discuss these wildly expansive forms of play in which players utilise both their imaginations and chance mechanics (such as dice rolls) to determine the actions of fictional characters and the scenarios surrounding them.

The symposium looks at TTRPGs as the physical interface between the body and the imaginary, addressing the hopes currently instilled in tabletop play to act as a transformative activity. As such, this form of play presents novel opportunities for immersive experience, problem solving, moral dilemma, but perhaps most importantly, communal storytelling.  

While an increasing number of contemporary artists have started to embrace the form and bring tabletop gaming mechanics into the development of participatory artworks, the TTRPG community itself remains a remarkable testing ground for the possibilities of play as a kind of “empathic technology”. Here, critical play is capable of strange things... might it temporarily untether us from the stagnant imaginaries of a post-capitalist inertia? Could role-playing games even come to function as vital tools for activism, or the forging of new communities?

Speakers at the event include acclaimed RPG designers Emmy Allan, Kayla Dice, Mike Mason, Chris McDowall, Samuel Mui, and Zedeck Siew, alongside writers, historians and theorists such as Stu Horvath, Timothy Linward, Mark Pilkington, and Simon O’Sullivan.

An exhibition of TTRPGs-inspired video games by artists Kitty Clark, Uma Breakdown, John Powell-Jones, Petra Szemán, and Holly White are hosted on computers and available to play for visitors throughout the whole event.

The day culminates in live TTRPG play sessions of the games Eco Mofos by artist David Blandy and SUPERZEROES by TTRPG game designer Samuel Mui, amongst others, inviting the audience to play with a deck of uniquely designed TTRPG playing cards.

LINK: arebyte TTRPG symposium

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: GAMEZ & RULEZ #8 (OCTOBER 20-21, ZÜRICH, SWITZERLAND)

gameZ & ruleZ #8

October 20-21, 2022

ToniAreal, 5th Floor, Room 5.K12

Zürcher Hochschule der Künste (ZHdK)
Departement Design
Fachrichtung Game Design
Toni-Areal, Pfingstweidstrasse 96
Postfach, CH-8031 Zürich, Switzerland

Get ready for the 8th edition of one of the coolest game and culture festivals in Europe, gameZ & ruleZ, which takes place annually in Zürich, Switzerland and is organized by Mela Kocher from the Master's Program in Game Design and managed by GameLab's coordinators Beat Suter and René Bauer. This year's topic is Mechanics of Play. The event will be live streamed. 

Description:

Play seems to be a free form, it is self-contained and people do it to get satisfaction. It also helps us to communicate and understand what surrounds us. It is best understood in correlation to normal life or work. Work favours pain and play favours pleasure. Work has to be done to increase productivity, play does not have to be productive, it is not constricted, may be spontaneous, aimless and creative at the same time. And you may even learn something by playing.

The conference looks at moments of play, different aspects of play and playful approaches in games, art and culture. What does free play mean in comparison to play a game with set rules? What happens, if we start changing some of the set rules? And what happens if we constrict free play with boundaries and some rules? If play is like a language, there must be some elements of play that we use in different kinds of playing.

With our guests we are discussing these elements and their connections as mechanics of play. Jörg Piringer plays with language and code. Matteo Bittanti delves into politics and ideology of playing video games. Sonia Fizek looks at playing at a distance and Nathalie Lawhead makes us familiar with humor in playing with software. And there is more, we are pleased to welcome ten guest speakers at the gameZ & ruleZ 2022.

Schedule

Program*: Thursday, 20. October, Room 5.K12

13.00	Opening
13.30	Matteo Bittanti (gamescenes.org, US): The Politics of Play / Playful Politics (Abstract & Bio)
14.30	Sjors Righters (studio rigters, NL): Concepts of the virtual sandbox and how to change them  (Abstract & Bio)
15.30	BREAK & Coffee
16.00	Jörg Piringer (AT): text=code=play (Abstract & Bio)
17.00	Daniel Hackbarth (D/CH): Gamification of Politics
18.00	Guido Berger (ZHCH): Playing Farming Simulator (CH)

Program*: Friday, 21. October, Room 5.K12

13.00	Opening
13.15	Sonia Fizek (Cologne Gamelab, D) : Playing at a Distance
14.15	Max Moswitzer (Artist, Experimental Gameculture AW Wien): Avatar at Play
15.15	Experiments in Action: Sebastian Burckhardt (CH): Kloppyssimo (Abstract & Bio)
15.40	Experiments in Action:  Kathleen Bohren CH): (Abstratd & Bio)
16.00	BREAK & Coffee
16.30	Nathalie Lawhead (US): When Software makes you laugh

LINK: Mechanics of Play

EVENT: ARTIST TALK: BUILDING UTOPIAS WITH DANIELLE UDOGARANYA AND DANIELLE BRATHWAITE-SHIRLEY (SEPTEMBER 14 2022, ONLINE)

Wednesday 14 Sep 2022 at 6:30pm (UK time)

Price: £5, £3 concession & members

Location: Zoom and (optionally) Roblox

An event curated by The Photographers Gallery, London

In this livestreamed, in-game event, Twitch streamer and How to Win at Photography artist Danielle Udogaranya joins video game and digital artist Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley, as the two discuss virtual worlds while playing co-operative worldbuilding games. Moderated by Nimco Kulmiye Hussein.

The talk can be accessed via Zoom and Roblox. Roblox is a free-to-play game that can be accessed via Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Xbox One. An invite link to both the Zoom call and the game server will be sent out prior to the event.

Note: To watch and listen to the talk, only Zoom is required. To join the talk in-game, Roblox can be used in addition to Zoom.

Danielle Udogaranya, – known on Twitch as Ebonix – is a London-based digital artist, content curator and online streamer, known for the custom content she creates for The Sims 4. Her "modded" Sims are on display within How to Win at Photography: Image-Making as Play.

Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley is a digital artist focused on creating virtual archives for the Black trans experience. Through digital environments  the artist ''centres'' the body, exploring identity, community, and Black trans history.

Nimco Kulmiye Hussein is a curator and writer, working at the intersection of research, culture, and art. Their praxis draws from postcolonial and queer-feminist perspectives, focusing actively on participatory practices that bring people together through critical, timely and meaningful narratives.

LINK: Building Utopias