Notgames Forum

// And yes, I use "artgames" as sort of a populist notion in this context - at least people know (?) what they are getting ^^
// I will come out with more information shortly

[ EN ]
Mikael Vesavuori, student at Valand School of Fine Arts (Master of Fine Art Program), is interested in how mainly pop-cultural media create and strengthen ideologies and identity politics. He is curious about project spaces that point at reality as a construction and the simulating/emulating aspects where nothing “is ever just for fun”.

In his exhibition It's All Fun and Games Until Someone Blows Their Brains Out, he explores how various interfaces to our daily lives affect different forms of violence: structurally, mentally and actually. The manifestation is done through four pieces, all consisting of videogames installed in environments that replicate a real place and situation. In the exhibition pieces, focus is affixed to how our tools of coping with and negotiating lived life changes possibility spaces and our ways of understanding the possibility of alternate approaches.

The exhibition takes place in gallery Rotor2 at Valand School of Fine Arts in Gothenburg (Vasagatan 50, enter from Teatergatan) between January 17th-21st. Open hours 3 pm – 8 pm. Finissage is on Saturday 21st of January at 7 pm.

Contact person:
Mikael Vesavuori (+46)723-582598 | mikael@propaganda-bureau.se | www.propaganda-bureau.se

https://www.facebook.com/events/295690450466417/

Such a horrid title!

I was going to be a bit moody about that flippant remark, but now that I have read the title...

I do like the term 'artgames'. It seems interesting. But the subjects all sound incredibly depressing, I must admit.

I cannot attend (being where I am) but I would still want to hear how it all goes

The 'horrid title' exhibition is on, friends! I recently had the opportunity to do an interview with Mathias Jansson, which is now posted on Art21 blog: http://blog.art21.org/2012/01/18/its-all-fun-and-games-until-someone-blows-their-brains-out/

The works presented at the exhibition should be ready for release tomorrow. Price 7$/5€ for digital download, 50€ for physical limited edition copy. More info to follow - my ISP just throttled down my connection massively so I can't even upload pics at the moment.

The store is finally activated and the four works in the series can be bought as a digital download for 7$ or in a limited physical form (with a certificate none-the-less!) for 50€. You can find it at http://www.propaganda-bureau.se/store_iafag.php.

The exhibition went really well and ended with me getting interviews with Mathias Jansson/Art21 (http://blog.art21.org/2012/01/18/its-all-fun-and-games-until-someone-blows-their-brains-out/), Level magazine, a link post on GameScenes (http://www.gamescenes.org/2012/01/links-game-art-around-the-web-1.html), a small solo exhibition as well as being invited to a larger group exhibition later this year. Really glad it all interested someone!

I enjoyed reading the interview. I thought you made some very good points.

Your style reminds me of our http://entropy8zuper.org/guernica
Good times.

This isn't science. It's not anthropology and it's not psychology. It's not research. It's not beauty and it's not entertainment. I hesitate to even call it art. It has no purpose.

@Michäel Samyn: Thanks! And I liked the link ^^


@Ghostwheel:
Late reply, because I've not had the time to log in for a while.

I also saw the comment you posted in late January but it was removed before I could answer it. Please understand that my most important goal is to create an open dialogue between things, be it people or artworks or whatever. I am encouraging (in the works you commented on as well as in civilized conversation) a mode of conversation that is no more confrontational than necessary.

1) I am making no claims that this work was psychology, research or anything other than general art-making taking the primary (but not singular) form of digital games. But that the works touch on things in lived life that I find interesting should come as little surprise and there should be no reason to explicate this in terms of, say, hard psychology.
2) Without getting into the unnecessary area of “what is art”, I would still like to point to the fact that you, holding a view of art that seems to have little to say, reflect and even accept in ways of contemporary art (based on a broad understanding of the comments you've made on this forum for a year), is in no position to make relevant and also unfounded claims (see #3). By looking or engaging in art, I can see no more open stance than to accept the implicit or explicit position of the art-creator for the time being. That is, I can look at Rothko's painting and still enjoy Joseph Beuys while they are highly unlikely to be compatible in their views on what the “right” art is all about. One should not have to be a manifesto-eater to enjoy art. The question then becomes what constitutes relevant art, but that is still far ahead from where we are now.
3) Following from the last one, I know that you have not visited the exhibition and I know you have not bought any version of the works/games. There are no videos circulating, and the only material to see are images and text. I find it counter-productive to say anything other than the most broad things about something one has not at all experienced. Simple Socratic logic: speak not of which you do not know. You are entitled to an opinion of course, but please don't be too brash about things. It makes you look bad. I've been there too, mind you.
4) Because of the nature of these works/games (notgames) they carry a lot of meaning through the installations and other external non-digital materials. This was something I was counting on from the start and I still remember comments from Michael Samyn regarding my wish to go physical rather than digital with games. The compromise was ultimately that any digital copies could not replicate any other factors than those of the digital work itself, but that they had to exist in order to be circulated.

I think that should cover the most immediate concerns.

I haven't been a gentleman. I'm sorry you had to read that post. I realised it was poorly thought out and worded so I deleted it. I was rash. I apologize.

I don't apologize for this:

I don't like you (UPDATE: This is harsh and unfair. I don't know you. Maybe you're actually a nice guy). I don't like the institution that you represent. I spent 6 years in art school and I had my fill of that gibberish academic art speak. You talk more than you do art. I read your interview or what I could of it. There was nothing there. It's empty words. I know more than enough to make an informed opinion on what you are doing. I don't need or want to spend any more time with it. I'm certainly not going to spend money on it.

That's all I'm going to say on the matter. I will ignore you from now on.

Good day.

Or maybe I just need to chill out.

Ghostwheel, I do not know if you care for any further of my comments but please accept my apologies if my rhetoric has been either aggressive or otherwise something that bothers you in any way.

My wish in partaking in this community is simply to engage, as you all do, in various non-standard ways of dealing with the games medium.

I share much of your understanding regarding the art world as well, and I believe I can comprehend some of its strangeness as much as you do. I am doing my MFA coming from a humanities-tech background so it has taken a few months to settle in. The last thing I would want to do is ride on the tail-coats of much of what is going on there, while it still does have considerable qualities regarding art's way of presenting things not representable in language. That is my take and interest in it.

While we may not share the same views on art, or more specifically the concept of "beauty", I would like to bury any hatchet that has popped up. We are, after all, much more of allies than enemies by virtue of spending time in this forum.

EDIT: Also, it is totally OK to dislike my work. You don't need my opinion on that, of course, but I would really like to end any hostilities.

yeah, chill out

None of this is your fault at all! I really should stress that. I've been very prickly of late. I still feel the way I do about art but I really shouldn't aim my frustrations at you. I apologize. I should really give you work a better chance. I'll have to pick the game collection up and actually play them.