digital video (1920 x 800), color, sound, 6’ 29”, 2024, Switzerland/Italy
created by 2girls1comp
In Dancing Plague, a mod for Grand Theft Auto V, the game’s traditionally gendered choreography is subverted, forcing every male NPC to dance feverishly whenever the player holds the H key. This intervention spotlights the inherent gender biases within the game’s animation system, where dance moves are primarily designed for female performers, often objectified as sex workers. By redirecting these choreographies to male characters, the mod disrupts the rigid gender binaries coded into the game, creating a spectacle where masculinity is both liberated and challenged. Interestingly, the male NPCs’s hypersexualized dance is mostly ignored by the female characters. Such an outcome becomes a playful and potent critique of the game’s inherent gender politics. To enhance the mod’s immersive experience, Azu Tiwaline, a French Tunisian musician known for blending contemporary electronic music with sub-Saharan trance traditions, was commissioned to create the soundtrack. Her work underscores the mod’s themes of ritual, trance, and liberation, providing a sonic backdrop that deepens the critique of gendered biases in digital spaces.
2girls1comp is a modding duo founded in 2023 by Marco De Mutiis (Italy, 1983) and Alexandra Pfammatter (Switzerland, 1993). Their work changes the logic of video games as an act of creative counter-play, revealing the social and economic fabric in which they are immersed: from reclaiming global digital infrastructures to commenting on free labor within the capitalist ideologies of the gaming industry, to showcasing the way play can influence its subjects through its mechanics. Their projects are distributed within the gaming and modding community, as well as cultural and artistic contexts.
In this video, Marco De Mutiis and Matteo Bittanti introduce The Photographer's Guide to Los Santos, an online companion to the eponymous exhibition which took place in the context of Fotofestival Lenzburg between May 22 and June 23 2024 in Lenzburg, Switzerland.
The Photographer’s Guide to Los Santos is several things at once.
Firstly, it’s a curated archive and expanding resource center documenting the most significant artistic projects created with Grand Theft Auto V in the past decade.
Secondly, it an educational project, introducing students to virtual photography practices through a thematic overview and a series of hands-on exercises.
Thirdly, as an "how to guide", it provides a series of manuals intended to photography and media arts students interested in experimenting with the game.
This online resource currently collects nine projects created by international artists working with Grand Theft Auto V, that is, 2girls1comp, Alan Butler, Raphael Brunk, COLL.EO, Mattia Dagani Rio, Elizabeth Desintaputri, Claire Hentschker, Mascha Negri, and Georgie Roxby Smith, which were all featured in the very first themed exhibition.
The repository is expected to expand substantially over the next few months.
In this video, the curators discuss the nine notable works currently featured in the online archive.
In Marlowe Drive, an avatar named Adam Kesher embarks on an unconventional journey through Los Santos, a meticulously rendered virtual replica of Los Angeles in Grand Theft Auto V. Adam is crafting a pioneering game video essay, not merely documenting the game and its players, but filming entirely within the game’s landscapes. This ethnographic endeavor blurs the boundaries between reality and fantasy, between players and their digital personas, while exploring the sociocultural dynamics of the simulation. Adam’s quest for a metaphorical bridge linking real-world experiences with virtual realities introduces him to characters and locations within the game that mirror broader societal themes such as ambition, identity, and self-expression. Marlowe Drive invites viewers to reassess the interconnections between gaming and cinema, between tangible realities and our collective imaginations.
Ekiem Barbier is a versatile composer and filmmaker who completed his education in drawing and video at the Montpellier Fine Arts School, graduating in 2017. His creative portfolio includes short fiction and animation films, and he has contributed to various collective exhibitions. Barbier’s directorial works include ANENT (2017) and Marlowe Drive (2017). His most recent project, Knit’s Island (2023), was a collaborative effort with Guilhem Causse and Quentin L’helgoualc’h, and premiered at Visions du Réel and since then screened worldwide, to great critical acclaim.
Quentin L’helgoualc’h is an artist whose work spans the realms of cinema, drawing, digital imagery, and sculpture, exploring the interplay among these mediums. His artistic inquiries reflect on the societal role of the artist, interlaced with personal fantasies and challenges posed by new technologies. L’helgoualc’h co-directed Marlowe Drive (2017) and Knit's Island (2023), with Ekiem Barbier and Guilhem Causse.
Guilhem Causse explores the intricate relationship between image and sound. Influenced by science fiction, photography, and concrete music, Causse crafts immersive environments characterized by void and resonance, populated with enigmatic forms. He co-directed Marlowe Drive (2017), and Knit's Island (2023), with Ekiem Barbier and Quentin L’helgoualc’h.
Step into a realm where pixels and imagination collide, where the touch of a button can unleash entire worlds and shape the very fabric of society. Whether you're nestled in the comfort of your bedroom, lounging in the living room, or on the move with your device snug in your pocket, video games are the threads that weave through our modern existence. Welcome to an immersive experience where you hold the reins. Choose your avatar, your digital embodiment, and chart a course through the intricate levels of this boundless universe. Whether you traverse alone, delving into the depths of solo gameplay, or join forces with fellow adventurers in multiplayer escapades, the journey is yours to shape. But this exhibition is more than a mere celebration of pixels and polygons. It's an exploration into the very essence of how video games shape our world. Delving deep into the technical intricacies that bring these virtual realms to life, we journey alongside a sociological perspective, unraveling the intricate tapestry of human interaction and societal impact. Prepare to be enthralled as we integrate not only games themselves but a myriad of mediums to showcase their influence. From captivating images and immersive videos to hands-on manipulations and tangible 3D objects, every facet of the gaming experience comes to life. And alongside these, discover works of art meticulously crafted by visionary artists like Mélanie Courtinat, Pascal Greco, and Robert Overweg, each piece a testament to the profound connection between art and gaming.
Join Marco De Mutiis and Matteo Bittanti on Saturday, June 22 at 11 AM to celebrate the conclusion of The Photographer's Guide to Los Santos exhibition at Photofestival Lenzburg.
But don't mistake this for another run-of-the-mill, self-congratulatory gathering fueled by endless prosecco. The curators will unveil a groundbreaking platform dedicated to in-game photography, ensuring the exhibition lives on indefinitely. Like PFAs and other forever chemicals, we're here to stay.
20 Ames Street Bakalar Gallery, Building E15 Cambridge, MA 02139
The MIT List Visual Arts Center is showcasing Jeremy Couillard’s first solo museum exhibition, List Projects 30: Jeremy Couillard, from July 18 to October 6, 2024. Couillard, originally trained as a painter and self-taught coder and digital artist, integrates various forms like playable games, web projects, and video installations in his work. His distinctive style features imaginative character design and humorous, absurd scenarios.
The exhibition highlights an installation of his latest game, Escape from Lavender Island (2023), set in a dystopian city with whimsical elements and social critique inspired by anthropologist David Graeber. Visitors can engage with Couillard's newest game, navigating through the surreal and dystopian cityscape. The game’s neighborhoods, such as the Corporate University Prison Town and Clown Crypt Renovation Zone, are filled with hidden quests and enigmatic public sculptures, providing an engaging and layered narrative experience.
Visitors can also play the game and view a video simulation, Zede’s Dream, featuring music and narrative vignettes. This continually generated video simulation offers a guided tour through Lavender Island, accompanied by an evocative soundtrack and narrated vignettes. This piece provides a cinematic glimpse into the lives of the game's characters, blending elements of reality and fantasy.
List Projects 30: Jeremy Couillard also includes new acrylic paintings linked to the digital art within the game. Couillard’s new series of paintings utilize a process of masking and layering to create intricate designs. These paintings, derived from digital assets within the game, bridge the gap between digital and physical media, offering a tangible connection to the virtual world of Lavender Island. The exhibition features wooden sculptures and design elements that bring the digital flora and fantastical objects from the game into the physical space of the gallery. Notable pieces include wooden sculptures of digitally rendered flowers and a giant neon sweater reading “Depression,” providing a poignant commentary on modern life.
Jeremy Couillard, Zede’s Dream, 2023 (still). Video game simulation, color, sound, loop; run time variable. Courtesy the artist
The exhibition is curated by Natalie Bell, with assistance from Zach Ngin, who have carefully selected and arranged Couillard’s works to create a cohesive and immersive narrative. The curation emphasizes the thematic elements of Couillard's work, such as the critique of societal norms and the exploration of alternative realities.
Jeremy Couillard, Zede’s Dream, 2023 (still). Video game simulation, color, sound, loop; run time variable. Courtesy the artist
The MIT List Visual Arts Center has planned a series of events and programs to complement the exhibition. These include artist talks, interactive workshops, and guided tours, aiming to engage the public and provide deeper insights into Couillard's creative process and the themes explored in his work. For a full list of events and programs, please visit this page
Jeremy Couillard, Zede’s Dream, 2023 (still). Video game simulation, color, sound, loop; run time variable. Courtesy the artist
The exhibition is supported by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Council for the Arts at MIT, and the Mass Cultural Council, among other generous donors. The backing of these institutions underscores the cultural and educational significance of Couillard’s work, and their support has been instrumental in bringing this innovative exhibition to life.
Jeremy Couillard, born in Livonia, Michigan in 1980 and based in New York, has exhibited at notable venues like Denny Gallery, Times Square Midnight Moment, and the Rotterdam Film Festival. He holds an MFA in Painting from Columbia University and teaches New Media at LaGuardia Community College in Queens. His achievements in the gaming world include multiple award nominations. HIS work bridges the gap between digital art and traditional media, reflecting his versatility and innovative approach. His interest in blending physical and virtual realities is evident in his previous projects, which often involve interactive elements that challenge the viewer's perception of reality. Couillard's work is also influenced by his exploration of speculative fiction and surrealism, creating worlds that are both bizarre and thought-provoking. His use of humor and satire allows him to address serious themes such as consumerism, corporate control, and existential dilemmas in an engaging manner. His teaching role at LaGuardia Community College enables him to inspire a new generation of artists in the field of new media, contributing to the evolving discourse on digital art and its implications. Couillard's ability to merge art with gaming has positioned him as a unique figure in contemporary art, where his exhibitions continue to draw attention from both art enthusiasts and gamers alike.
All images and videos in this page courtesy the Artist
digital video (1920 x 1080, Arri Alexa), color, sound, 16’ 20”, color, sound, 2021, Germany.
Created by Steffen Köhn
Platform draws from documentary interviews with freelancers on online delivery platforms, weaving their real-life experiences with elements from Neal Stephenson’s seminal 1992 cyberpunk novel, Snow Crash, which has gained iconic status in Silicon Valley. The film examines how the dystopian capitalist visions depicted in the novel mirror current capitalist dynamics. The narrative seamlessly blends the true stories of the research participants with fictional scenarios inspired by Snow Crash, creating a cyclical storyline that blurs the lines between documentary and fantasy. This technique plunges viewers into the complexities and paradoxes of modern work environments. Departing from traditional documentary styles, the film stages the drivers’ stories within a sci-fi framework, portraying their daily work struggles, prerogatives, and aspirations. Platform utilizes machinima to juxtapose live-action footage with video game based animations. This stylistic choice not only highlights the fading distinction between work and leisure but also prompts a deeper reflection on immaterial labor and value creation in today’s digital economy.
Steffen Köhn is a filmmaker, video artist, and assistant professor of multimodal anthropology at Aarhus University. He utilizes ethnography to delve into contemporary socio-technical landscapes. Köhn is the author of Mediating Mobility. Visual Anthropology in the Age of Migration (Wallflower Press, 2016). In his video and installation works, Köhn collaborates locally with gig workers, software developers, and science fiction writers to probe alternative models of technological access and power distribution. His works have been exhibited at prestigious venues including the Warsaw Biennial, Academy of the Arts Berlin, Kunsthaus Graz, Vienna Art Week, Hong Gah Museum Taipei, Lulea Biennial, The Photographers’ Gallery, and the ethnographic museums of Copenhagen and Dresden. Additionally, his films have been featured at major international festivals such as the Berlinale, Rotterdam International Film Festival, and the World Film Festival Montreal.
After fifteen years of serving as a renowned editorial platform, Killscreen is transitioning into Gameplayarts, a vibrant arts organization dedicated to the exploration and expansion of game-based arts and culture. The change marks a significant shift from Killscreen’s original role as an editorial entity to becoming a leader in game-centered education and curation.
The evolution of Killscreen into Gameplayarts is not just a change in name but also a strategic repositioning. “The transition has been as intentional as time, space, and resources have allowed,” said Jamin Warren, the founder of Killscreen, who also noted personal milestones such as becoming a parent as part of the journey. The mission, however, remains unchanged: to demonstrate the cultural and artistic significance of video games.
Gameplayarts aims to enrich the creative practices of its community through a comprehensive array of offerings. These include classes, workshops, and exhibitions specifically tailored to integrate game-making into broader artistic endeavors. The initiative seeks to foster a new understanding and appreciation of video games beyond traditional gameplay, positioning them as pivotal components of contemporary art.
Located in Los Angeles - the global capital of image production - Gameplayarts plans to activate its project space with innovative installations, such as Alice Bucknell’s recent exhibition, The Alluvials, which we will review shortly, and Jenna Caravello's Easy Ultra Fine. This move is part of a broader strategy to secure additional support through arts funding, private contributions, and public memberships, ensuring the sustainability and growth of the newly formed organization.
Meanwhile, Killscreen's legacy will continue to live on digitally. The website killscreen.com will still host all long-form editorial content and interviews, along with maintaining an archive of past articles. However, all educational content related to classes or workshops will be redirected to the Gameplayarts platform.
Art Survivors (2024), a new artistic first-person shooter game developed by Mak2, transports players into the gripping setting of a fictional art fair, perhaps the ultimate theater of war. The game begins with a familiar artistic milieu, showcasing the artist’s own AI-generated artworks. But the serene atmosphere quickly spirals into chaos as all the non-player characters within the game transform into feral zombies. In this high-stakes environment, players are thrust into a survival scenario where they must navigate through the dystopian art fair, which has now turned into a complex maze, to combat and eliminate the infected attendees. Dressed in business casual attire, these zombies add a surreal contrast to the harrowing tasks players face. As the living dead advance, the game cleverly intertwines hysterical gameplay with deep narrative elements, making the experience as intellectually stimulating as it is exhilarating. Art Survivors cleverly juxtaposes the calm, elitist, sophisticated world of art fairs with the intense, frantic nature of your average zombie apocalypse. The game employs this scenario as a satirical exaggeration to explore and critique the often-unseen competitive dynamics within the art community and belongs to a long tradition of institutional critique through video game means. Art Survivors reflects on themes of hierarchy, competition, trauma, and strategic thinking, all cleverly wrapped in the guise of an art fair turned survival battleground: the battle royale equivalent of an art fair. The work is currently on display in the context of the aptly titled show Art Survivors (May 4 - June 22 2024) at De Sarthe art gallery in Hong Kong.
Mak2 (b. 1989, Hong Kong) is a multidisciplinary conceptual artist whose oeuvre addresses contemporary issues through an exploration of philosophy, art history, cultural shifts, socio-political changes, the internet, and emerging technologies. Her artistic expressions, characterized by a blend of humor and keen inquiry, span various mediums including installations, paintings, drawings, video works, YouTube videos, stand-up comedy routines, and Instagram filters. Mak2’s art has gained international recognition, with exhibitions across various prestigious venues including the Shanghai K11 Art Mall, Beijing Inside-Out Art Museum, X Museum in Beijing, de Sarthe in Hong Kong, and the Pedro Cera Gallery in Lisbon. Her works have also been showcased in significant exhibitions such as Mirage or Reality in Shanghai, The Principle of Hope in Beijing, and at cultural institutions like Whitechapel Gallery in London and the CAFA Art Museum in Beijing. Mak2 lives and works in Hong Kong.
Kevin Stebner, a Calgary-based multidisciplinary artist, writer, and musician, has consistently explored the intersection of art and video games through his project GreyScreen. This expansive artistic endeavor incorporates an array of media, from music to visual installations and poetry.
In spring 2024, Stebner is set to release a new book, Game Genie: Poems, published by The Blasted Tree Art Collective and Publishing Company. This innovative collection features oulipo-inspired lipogram poems (i.e., written works composed of words selected so as to avoid the use of one or more letters of the alphabet.), which double as working Game Genie codes for Nintendo, demonstrating a unique fusion of literary creativity and retro-gaming technology.
Originally from Red Deer, Alberta, Stebner has been a prominent figure in Calgary's creative scene for nearly two decades. His journey into video game-inspired music began in 2007 while he was teaching in Korea. Facing the challenge of creating music in a small, isolated space, he discovered Chiptune, a genre that uses vintage gaming consoles to create music, and has since delved deeper into this style.
Related to his GreyScreen project, Stebner’s work often features interactive installations that blend visual art with sound through the manipulation of vintage video game equipment. One of his most remarkable projects is Glitch(2016), an interactive digital visual art installation that represents an advanced iteration of the earlier Switches Make Glitches project. This innovative piece features a circuit-bent Nintendo Entertainment System, where the video chip is intricately wired to a user-operated control box. Although the system retains its functional integrity, it has been transformed into a creative platform similar to patching a modular synth or operating a telephone switchboard. Participants can interact with the installation by configuring their own circuit bends.
GreyScreen, Glitch, 2016, presented at Beakerhead Festival, 2016. Photo (c) Kevin Stebner
This hands-on engagement allows users to generate a unique array of visual glitches, offering a personalized experience with each interaction. This approach not only reimagines nostalgic elements in a contemporary context but also has led to collaborations with prominent institutions like the EPCOR Centre, Beakerhead Arts Festival, and Contemporary Calgary, where his installations invite viewers to experience the confluence of sound, sight, and interactive art.