The Art of Video Games
The Art of Video Games is an exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum from March 16, 2012 to September 30, 2012 in Washington, DC The aim of the exhibition is to highlight the evolution of the art of computer games over the course of its forty-year history. Following the exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the exhibition will be shown at ten other exhibition locations across the United States. Curator of the exhibition is Chris Melissinos , former chief evangelist and chief gaming officer for Sun Microsystems .
Concept and exhibition objective
The Art of Video Games is the result of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's efforts to catch up with modern media. As part of the Smithsonian 2.0 conference, which dealt with the future of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in the digital age, contact was made with Chris Melissinos, who took on the role of curator of the exhibition. It is one of the first exhibitions with the aim of exploring the forty year evolution of computer games as an artistic medium, and the first computer game-related exhibition by a nationally important US museum. The focus is on outstanding visual effects and the creative use of new technologies. The exhibition is not about proving that computer games are the product of an interplay of skillful disciplines such as writing or drawing, but that they combine influences from all these areas into a new art form:
“Obviously, in a video game, you'll find traditional forms of art like drawings, illustrations, stories, and music, but all of those things put together make a video game. So a video game takes all of these things and combines them into something bigger. We consider each of these areas individually as part of the exhibition. So we don't want to deal with art in video games, but rather video games as an art form and how they have evolved as such over time. "
According to curator Melissinos, the uniqueness of computer game art is that it has a total of three levels:
- The view of the creator pursuing a creative goal.
- The actual game, consisting of the game mechanics and the presentation.
- The player's personal experience as a result of interaction with the game and personal reception.
The coming together of artist, game and player raise the software product above the status of a simple game. In this context, it is not so much the technical progress that is important, but rather the core mechanics, which have remained the same over the course of gaming history.
With a compilation of outstanding computer and video games from all platforms, from the Atari VCS to the 7th generation of consoles , the interplay of graphics, technology and narration is to be demonstrated. The exhibition divides the history of games into five technological ages (English: "Era") and uses the games to present the work of some of the most influential artists and designers, from the early beginnings to the contemporary era. The exhibition received advice from numerous US game designers and game journalists, including Louis Castle , Steve Meretzky , Ray Muzyka , Greg Zeschuk , David Perry and Tim Schafer . Most of the original hardware on display is on loan from Melissinos and the screenshots of the reference games used in the exhibition were also made by Melissinos themselves.
The Smithsonian American Art Museum invited all interested parties to help select the games for the exhibition. Curator Chris Melissinos and his team of advisors compiled a selection of 240 games. All titles were selected with a view to the exhibition objectives and a distinction was only made according to platform and, within the platform, finally according to genre or game concept. The same number of candidates was presented for each platform and each genre, resulting in 80 subject groups with three candidates each. The aim of this selection, however, was not to make a list of the best games of all time. In the period from February 14th to April 17th 2011, the museum put this selection online for free voting. Each participant could define his favorite for each of the 80 groups, the game with the most votes was then included in the exhibition. The vote met with great interest and immediately after the website went live, the server collapsed. A total of 119,000 people from 175 countries took part in the vote.
After three years of preparation, the exhibition opened on March 16, 2012. The opening was accompanied by a three-day festival, the so-called GameFest !, including a keynote by Nolan Bushnell and a discussion with Hideo Kojima . The game developers Don Daglow , Robert J. Mical , Mike Mika , Rand Miller , Keith Robinson , Paul Barnett , Mark DeLoura , Ken Levine , Kellee Santiago and Robin Hunicke could be won over for further panel discussions and lectures . There were also screenings of the film Tron , which is closely related to the topic of computer games, and the documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters , which shows a contest between two Donkey Kong players for the highest score and the associated entry in the Guinness Book of Records illustrated.
construction
In the entrance area, visitors are greeted by a 3.5 meter high projection that contains motifs from almost all 80 games on display. It is accompanied by a chiptune soundtrack that was composed and recorded by 8 Bit Weapon and ComputeHer .
The exhibition is divided into three areas. The first section looks at the people behind the games. A number of concept drawings, sculptures, booklets and 3D models will be shown. In addition, five themed videos deal with questions about the beginnings of video games, sources of inspiration for designers, the role of narration, special gaming experiences and future prospects. The videos are made up of game scenes and are highlighted with sound and image clips from interviews with a total of 20 influential designers and developers from computer game history. These videos are also available on the museum's website.
Interview list:
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An installation called "Gamer Faces" shows in real time the facial expressions and body language of the visitors who are interacting with the games in the other rooms at this point in time. The games played are not visible, the focus is on the players' reactions to the game.
The second part of the exhibition presents five titles that can be played directly on site, one for each era: Pac-Man , Super Mario Bros. , The Secret of Monkey Island , Myst and Flower . They demonstrate how players interact with the virtual worlds and highlight the innovative techniques that have become the benchmark for subsequent games. The games were selected by curator Chris Melissinos and are representative of games that changed the view of video games forever and were of great importance for the development of the game industry because they forced gamers and designers to rethink. A five-part installation, which shows the advances in the field of core mechanics, demonstrates the significant development of computer games since their inception in the 1970s through elements such as avatars, jumping in games, running, climbing, flying, the use of cutscenes and the representation of landscapes .
The third part of the exhibition deals with the development of computer games based on the selected titles. The development of the hardware is also examined. Interactive information stands cover 20 game systems from all five technological ages, from the Atari VCS / Atari 2600 to the PlayStation 3. Each information stand deals with four titles, one from each of the genres “Action” (games about dexterity & responsiveness), “Target”, “Adventure” "(Narrative games) and" Tactics "(strategy titles). Here the visitor receives information in the form of comments, game dialogs and music playback. The meaning and artistic aspect of the game are explained within 60 to 90 seconds.
Games on display
The following list contains all the games that Melissinos and the panel of experts have put together as possible exhibits for the exhibition. The public voting winners are highlighted. In addition, the exhibition offers the visitor the opportunity to play five games on site. These are the titles Pac-Man , Super Mario Bros. , The Secret of Monkey Island , Myst and Flower .
Era 1: start! (1970s - 1983)
| platform | genre | title | year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atari VCS | Target | Space Invaders | 1980 |
| Missile Command | 1981 | ||
| Yars' Revenge | 1981 | ||
| Adventure | Adventure | 1980 | |
| Pitfall! | 1982 | ||
| ET the Extra-Terrestrial | 1982 | ||
| Action | Tunnel runner | 1983 | |
| Haunted House | 1981 | ||
| Pac-Man | 1981 | ||
| Tactics | Combat | 1977 | |
| Star Raiders | 1979 | ||
| Video chess | 1979 | ||
| Colecovision | Target | Carnival | 1982 |
| Zaxxon | 1982 | ||
| Buck Rodgers: Planet of Doom | 1982 | ||
| Adventure | Alcazar: The Forgotten Fortress | 1985 | |
| Gateway to Apshai | 1983 | ||
| Pitfall II: Lost Caverns | 1984 | ||
| Action | Donkey Kong | 1982 | |
| Jungle Hunt | 1983 | ||
| Smurf: Rescue in Gargamel's Castle | 1982 | ||
| Tactics | evolution | 1982 | |
| Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator | 1983 | ||
| Artillery Duel | 1983 | ||
| Intellivision | Target | Demon Attack | 1982 |
| Star Strike | 1981 | ||
| Space battle | 1979 | ||
| Adventure | Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Cloudy Mountain | 1982 | |
| Swords and Serpents | 1982 | ||
| Thunder Castle | 1986 | ||
| Action | Microsurgeon | 1982 | |
| Tron: Maze-atron | 1982 | ||
| Masters of the Universe: The Power of He-Man | 1983 | ||
| Tactics | Armor Battle | 1977 | |
| B-17 bombers | 1982 | ||
| Utopia | 1981 |
Era 2: 8-bit (1983–1989)
| platform | genre | title | year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commodore 64 | Target | Attack of the Mutant Camels | 1983 |
| Paradroid | 1985 | ||
| Raid on Bungeling Bay | 1984 | ||
| Adventure | Wasteland | 1988 | |
| The Bard's Tale III: Thief of Fate | 1988 | ||
| Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders | 1988 | ||
| Action | Impossible Mission | 1984 | |
| Boulder Dash | 1984 | ||
| Jumpman | 1983 | ||
| Tactics | MULE | 1983 | |
| Little Computer People | 1985 | ||
| Sid Meier's Pirates! | 1987 | ||
|
Nintendo Entertainment System |
Target | 1943: The Battle of Midway | 1988 |
| Top gun | 1987 | ||
| salamander | 1987 | ||
| Adventure | Final Fantasy | 1987 | |
| The Legend of Zelda | 1986 | ||
| Shadowgate | 1987 | ||
| Action | Mega Man 2 | 1988 | |
| Super Mario Bros. 3 | 1988 | ||
| Metroid | 1986 | ||
| Tactics | Archon: The Light and the Dark | 1983 | |
| Desert Commander | 1989 | ||
| North & South | 1989 | ||
| Sega Master System | Target | Fantasy Zone | 1986 |
| After burner | 1988 | ||
| Missile Defense 3D | 1987 | ||
| Adventure | Phantasy Star | 1987 | |
| Heroes of the Lance | 1988 | ||
| Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar | 1985 | ||
| Action | Shinobi | 1988 | |
| Land of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse | 1992 | ||
| Marble Madness | 1986 | ||
| Tactics | Gain Ground | 1990 | |
| Spy vs Spy | 1984 | ||
| Rampart | 1991 |
Era 3: Bit Wars! (1989-1994)
| platform | genre | title | year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sega Genesis | Target | Gunstar Heroes | 1993 |
| Viewpoint | 1992 | ||
| Ranger X | 1993 | ||
| Adventure | Phantasy Star IV | 1993 | |
| Flashback: The Quest for Identity | 1992 | ||
| Shining Force 2 | 1993 | ||
| Action | Earthworm Jim | 1994 | |
| Sonic CD | 1993 | ||
| Michael Jackson's moonwalker | 1990 | ||
| Tactics | Duke two | 1990 | |
| Dune II: Battle for Arrakis | 1994 | ||
| Nobunaga's ambition | 1986 | ||
|
Super Nintendo Entertainment System |
Target | Gradius III | 1990 |
| Star Fox | 1993 | ||
| Great Smash TV | 1991 | ||
| Adventure | Chrono trigger | 1995 | |
| The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past | 1991 | ||
| Earthbound | 1995 | ||
| Action | Super Star Wars | 1992 | |
| Super Mario World | 1991 | ||
| Donkey Kong Country | 1994 | ||
| Tactics | SimCity | 1989 | |
| Syndicate | 1993 | ||
| Act raiser | 1990 |
Era 4: Transition (1995-2002)
- ↑ Goldeneye 007 was originally the winner in this category, but could not be exhibited for copyright reasons. Star Fox 64 (published in Germany as Lylat Wars) moved up as the runner-up title.
Era 5: Next Generation (2003 - today)
Exhibition tour
In addition to the presentation at the Smithsonian, a nationwide exhibition tour of ten other US museums has been announced.
- Boca Raton Museum of Art in Boca Raton, Florida (October 24, 2012 - January 20, 2013)
- EMP Museum in Seattle, Washington (February 16, 2013 - May 13, 2013)
- Phoenix Art Museum in Phoenix, Arizona (June 16, 2013 - September 29, 2013)
- Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, New York (October 25, 2013 - January 19, 2014)
- Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, New York (February 15, 2014 - May 18, 2014)
- Toledo Museum of Art in Toledo, Ohio (June 19, 2014 - September 28, 2014)
- Flint Institute of Arts in Flint, Michigan (October 25, 2014 - January 18, 2015)
- Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Virginia (February 13, 2015 - May 10, 2015)
- Memphis Brooks Museum of Art in Memphis, Tennessee (June 6, 2015 - September 13, 2015)
- The Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum at Florida International University in Miami, Florida (October 9, 2015 - January 25, 2016)
reception
On the opening day, the museum recorded almost 23,000 visitors, making it one of the five most popular exhibition days in museum history to date. Over 686,000 visitors came over the six-month exhibition period. The exhibition attracted greater media attention from the gaming and computer press as well as daily and mainstream news in English. The exhibition also generated a certain, albeit significantly less, media response from German-language press offers. The main group of visitors to the exhibition are mainly young families.
The exhibition received predominantly positive feedback from the press and interest groups close to computer games. It was appreciated that through this exhibition it was finally accepted from a qualified mouth that computer games were art, as a court order of the Supreme Court had already confirmed. From the traditional side, the exhibition was held to be too little concerned with the question of where exactly the art in computer games was and how to differentiate between entertainment products and works of art.
Press reviews:
“Video games are just now, finally, earning the validation of our parents' generation. We have now seen our treasured game systems go from under the Christmas trees of our youth to under glass at the Smithsonian. It feels good. "
“Video games are finally being valued by our parents' generation. We were now able to watch as the game systems we had come to love, which in our youth were still under the Christmas tree, have wandered under the glass showcases in the Smithsonian. It feels good."
"The Art of Video Games," a technologically impressive but intellectually inert exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, belongs in a history or technology museum, not in an institution devoted to art. Despite its title, it fails to grapple with questions about the definition and boundaries of art, questions that tend to make people squeamish in a democratic society that would rather everything be art than anyone feel excluded from the realms of sanctified culture.
“The Art of Video Games, a technologically impressive but intellectually sluggish exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, belongs in a technical museum, not an institution dedicated to art. Despite its title, the exhibition fails to address questions of definition and the limits of art, questions that tend to make people squeamish in a democratic society that would rather label everything as art before anyone is excluded from the realm of sacred culture feels."
"A new exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum is billed as" The Art of Video Games. " Visitors will encounter beautiful production art, a chronological look at the major video-game platforms and their key games, tidbits of wisdom from various designers, and even a handful of games playable on giant public screens. What they won't find is much of a case that video games are, in fact, art. "
"A new exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum is titled" The Art of Computer Games. " Visitors will encounter beautiful production drawings, a chronological look at the major gaming platforms and their key games, words of wisdom from various designers and even a handful of playable titles on huge public screens. What you won't find so much on the other hand is evidence that computer games are actually art. "
“When Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney released the Pong game console in 1972, they hardly had any desire to create art. But in 2011, almost forty years after the game console found its way into living rooms, an announcement by the renowned Smithsonian Museum meant that the old game console and the entire video game medium were suddenly seen with different eyes. "
- Ars Technica, April 2, 2012, “Ars at the Museum: The Art of Video Games at the Smithsonian” by Jonathan M. Gitlin
- The Los Angeles Times, March 19, 2012, “Smithsonian scores with 'Art of Video Games' exhibit” by Liesl Bradner
See also
- Game On - A similar exhibition focusing on the historical development of computer and video games.
literature
- Chris Melissinos and Patrick O'Rourke: The Art of Video Games: From Pac-Man to Mass Effect (exhibition catalog) . Welcome Books, 2012, ISBN 978-1-59962-110-4 .
Web links
- Smithsonian American Art Museum The Art of Video Games exhibition information
- The Art of Video Games voting site
- Curator interview, exhibition trailer and artist interviews
- The Art Of Video Games: From Pac-Man To Mass Effect book website
- Past Pixels
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Mike Snider: Are video games art? Draw your own conclusions ( English ) In: USA Today . Gannet . March 13, 2012. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
- ↑ Rita Braver: The art of video games ( English ) In: CBS Sunday Morning . CBS . March 18, 2012. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
- ↑ a b c Emma Mustich: Video games as multi-player art projects ( English ) In: Salon.com . March 10, 2012. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
- ↑ a b c d e f Michael Leitner: Interview: "Computer games are part of evolution" . In: Futurezone . Courier newspaper publisher and printer. May 6, 2012. Archived from the original on June 11, 2012. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved June 5, 2012.
- ↑ a b Jane O'Brien: Video game art gets the gallery treatment ( English ) In: BBC News . March 15, 2012. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
- ↑ PastPixels: Art of Video Games - Advisory Group ( Memento of the original from May 14, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (English), last accessed on May 30, 2012.
- ↑ Mike Fahey: Games as Art: You Decide Which Video Games Are Displayed At The Smithsonian ( English ) In: Kotaku . February 14, 2011. Retrieved June 6, 2012.
- ↑ Smithsonian American Art Museum : Voting Page ( Memento of the original from March 13, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , The Art of Video Games, (accessed June 5, 2012).
- ↑ a b Seth Schiesel: An Exhibition in Easy Mode ( English ) In: The New York Times . The New York Times Company. March 16, 2012. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
- ^ Matthew Hawkins: 'The Art of Video Games' opens at Smithsonian March 16 ( English ) In: MSNBC . March 2, 2012. Archived from the original on May 1, 2012. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved June 6, 2012: “ The response to the initial call for entries was so enthusiastic that it took down the Smithsonian's servers almost immediately. "
- ↑ US exhibition shows art from games: Lara Croft instead of Mona Lisa . In: Bild Online . Axel Springer AG . March 16, 2012. Retrieved June 5, 2012.
- ↑ Evan Narcisse: Culture: The Smithsonian's Going to Throw a GameFest to Celebrate The Art of Video Games and You Should Totally Go ( English ) In: Kotaku . January 13, 2012. Retrieved June 6, 2012.
- ↑ Ken Gagne: Smithsonian Art Of Video Games Exhibit Opens With Gaming Festival ( English ) In: PC World . IDG . March 22, 2012. Retrieved June 5, 2012.
- ↑ Smithsonian American Art Museum : Gamefest ( Memento of the original from May 21, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , The Art of Video Games, (accessed June 5, 2012).
- ^ Robyn Flans: Simi Valley couple's music is part of Smithsonian gaming exhibit ( English ) In: Ventura County Star . Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group . March 14, 2012. Retrieved June 6, 2012.
- ↑ Smithsonian American Art Museum : Exhibition Videos ( Memento of the original from June 29, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , The Art of Video Games, (accessed June 5, 2012).
- ↑ Chris Kohler: Videogames Politely Invade Smithsonian Art Museum ( English ) In: Wired . Condé Nast Publications . March 30, 2012. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
- ↑ Smithsonian American Art Museum : Advances in Mechanics ( Memento of the original from May 11, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , The Art of Video Games, (accessed June 5, 2012).
- ^ Smithsonian American Art Museum : Featured Games ( Memento December 3, 2016 in the Internet Archive ), The Art of Video Games (accessed June 5, 2012).
- ^ Smithsonian American Art Museum : Exhibition Page , The Art of Video Games (accessed June 6, 2012).
- ↑ Larry Frum: Smithsonian celebrates 'Art of Video Games' ( English ) In: CNN . Time Warner . April 4, 2012. Retrieved June 5, 2012.
- ↑ Jessica Conditt: Here's how many people saw The Smithsonian's Art of Games ( English ) In: Joystiq . AOL . October 2, 2012. Archived from the original on October 7, 2012. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
- ↑ Sandra Sperber, Ole Reißmann: Video game exhibition: gambling den for the whole family . In: Spiegel Online . SPIEGEL publishing house Rudolf Augstein. May 29, 2012. Retrieved June 5, 2012.
- ↑ Philip Kennicott: Critic's Review: 'The Art of Video Games' at the Smithsonian American Art Museum ( English ) In: The Washington Post . Washington Post Company. March 18, 2012. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
- ↑ Peter Suderman: Gamers' letdown: Smithsonian's video-game exhibit scores low on interactivity ( English ) In: The Washington Times . News World Communications . March 29, 2012. Retrieved June 7, 2012.
- ↑ Jonathan M. Gitlin: Ars at the Museum: The Art of Video Games at the Smithsonian ( English ) In: Ars Technica . Condé Nast Publications . April 2, 2012. Retrieved June 5, 2012.
- ↑ Liesl Bradner: Smithsonian scores with 'Art of Video Games' exhibit ( English ) In: Los Angeles Times . Tribune Company . March 19, 2012. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
- ↑ Welcome Books: Product page exhibition catalog (English), last accessed on May 30, 2012.
