Exhibition Strategies for Videogames in Art Institutions: Blank Arcade 2017

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Reed Emilie
2017 DiGRA '17 - Proceedings of the 2017 DiGRA International Conference

While debate over videogames’ cultural status can still become contentious, theorist Bruce Altshuler describes the contemporary exhibition form as a route into art history, and therefore, exhibitions of videogames and their curatorial and display choices have already drawn videogames into the discursive construction of the history of art. Examining past exhibitions as well as reflecting on current curatorial practices is a vital area of investigation to form an interdisciplinary history of videogames. After providing a historical background of this phenomenon, I summarize my practical work in games curation through a case study of The Blank Arcade 2016, reflecting on how exhibition strategies can incorporate a comprehensive and engaging perspective on videogames into the art world. By reviewing both the process of exhibition organization and resulting visitor feedback, I reflect on the effectiveness of the present curatorial process and issues it will benefit from taking into account in the future.

 

Memory of a Broken Dimension: a study in a politics of skill for experimental art games

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Lockett William
2014 DiGRA '13 - Proceedings of the 2013 DiGRA International Conference: DeFragging Game Studies

This paper outlines a political theory of digital games using conceptual resources drawn from the history of art. Beginning with a close reading of a single game—Memory of a Broken Dimension—the author develops his theoretical concerns through a contrast between Ian Bogost’s theory or procedural representation and a theoretical framework focused on the politics of skill acquisition process, embodied activities of information access and manipulation, and the historically determined forms of material objects. By revisiting key texts pertaining to minimalist sculpture—specifically those of art historian Michael Fried and artist Robert Morris—the author elucidates the connection between Memory of a Broken Dimension and the lager political stakes of his project.