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  • The Art of Video Games

    By Chris Kohler

    “The Art of Video Games,” an upcoming exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum of which I am an advisory board member, is seeking donations.

    Those who chip in $10 or more to the exhibit, to be featured at the venerable American institution starting in March 2012, will get their names in a list of credits that will be displayed online and in the museum.

    The catch is that as you kick in more cash, your name will appear larger in the display.

    3rd floor North, Smithsonian American Art Museum
    March 16, 2012 - September 30, 2012

    Watch the webcast of the winning games announcement

    About the Exhibition

    The Art of Video Games is one of the first exhibitions to explore the forty-year evolution of video games as an artistic medium, with a focus on striking visual effects and the creative use of new technologies. The exhibition will feature some of the most influential artists and designers during five eras of game technology, from early pioneers to contemporary designers . It also will explore the many influences on game designers, and the pervasive presence video games have in the broader popular culture, with new relationships to video art, film and television, educational practices, and professional skill training. Chris Melissinos, founder of Past Pixels and collector of video games and gaming systems, is the curator of the exhibition.

    Video games use images, actions, and player participation to tell stories and engage their audiences. In the same way as film, animation, and performance, they can be considered a compelling and influential form of narrative art. New technologies have allowed designers to create increasingly interactive and sophisticated game environments while staying grounded in traditional game types. The exhibition will feature eighty games through still images and video footage. Five games will be available for visitors to play for a few minutes, to gain some feel for the interactivity: Pac-Man, Super Mario Brothers, The Secret of Monkey Island, Myst, and Flower. In addition, the galleries will include video interviews with developers and artists, large prints of in-game screen shots, and historic game consoles.

    The museum invited the public to help select the video games to be included in the exhibition. The 240 games on the ballot were selected by Chris Melissinos, who worked with the museum and an advisory group consisting of game developers, designers, industry pioneers, and journalists. The games were selected based on a variety of criteria, including visual effects, creative use of new technologies, how the game fit into the narrative of the exhibition, and how world events and popular culture influenced the message of the game. Voting took place between February 14 and April 17, 2011. More than 3.7 million votes were cast by 119,000 people in 175 countries!

    Comments?

    Tell us what you think about the exhibition through the voting site, or join the conversation on Twitter by using #taovg and following @americanart.

    Stay Connected

    If you are interested in receiving monthly updates and special behind-the-scenes offers leading up to the exhibition opening in Washington, D.C. and throughout the run of the exhibition, please sign-up.

    Extra Credit!

    The Museum's blog Eye Level

    The Art of Video Games: Five Questions for Chris Melissinos, August 18, 2011

    The People Behind the Video Games: thatgamecompany, July 12, 2011

    The Art of Video Games: The Votes are In!, May 5, 2011

    5 Questions with Chris Melissinos, March 29, 2011

    The Art of Video Games: Vote Now!, February 19, 2011

    In the News
    Boing Boing, May 6, "Interview: The Art of Video Games at the Smithsonian" by Rob Beschizza

    IFC News, April 18-20, 2011, "How I Voted For "The Art of Video Games" by Evan Narcisse, Part 1,
    Part 2, Part 3

    All Things Digital, April 3, 2011, "Video Games As Art? With an Upcoming Smithsonian Exhibit, Pong Equals Picasso" by Erik Silk

    Smithsonian magazine, Around the Mall, March 16, 2011, "Get Your Favorite Video Games Into the American Art Museum" by Jesse Rhodes

    The Washington Post, Faster Forward, February 21, 2011, "A conversation with video game exhibition curator Chris Melissinos" by Hayley Tsukayama

    TIME, Techland, February 16, 2011, "Level Up!: Pick Which Video Games Get Shown at the Smithsonian" by Evan Narcisse

    DCist, February 15, 2011, "Help Curate The American Art Museum's Video Game Exhibit" by Aaron Morrissey

    Game Spot, February 14, 2011, " Smithsonian gaming exhibit seeking voters" by Tom Magrino

    Gamasutra, February 14, 2011, "Smithsonian American Art Museum Opens Public Vote On Game-Centered Exhibit" by Kyle Orland

    Credit

    The Art of Video Games is organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum with generous support from Sheila Duignan and Mike Wilkins. The C.F. Foundation in Atlanta supports the museum’s traveling exhibition program, Treasures to Go.

    National Tour
    The Art of Video Games is available for tour after closing at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. If you are interested in hosting the exhibition at your museum, please visit our traveling exhibitions page for contact information.

    Confirmed venues include:

    Boca Raton Museum of Art (October 24, 2012 - January 20, 2013)

    Winning Games
    The following games topped the public vote and will be featured in The Art of Video Games in 2012. A PDF with more information is available here. In addition to the 80 games below, five playable games will be included in the exhibition: Pac-Man, Super Mario Brothers, The Secret of Monkey Island, Myst, and Flower.

    1943: The Battle of Midway
    Advanced Dungeons and Dragons
    After Burner
    Attack of the Mutant Camels
    Bioshock
    Boom Blox
    Brütal Legend
    ChuChu Rocket!
    Combat®
    Desert Commander
    Diablo II
    Donkey Kong™
    DOOM II
    Dune II: Battle for Arrakis
    Earthworm Jim
    Einhander
    Fable
    Fallout
    Fallout 3
    Final Fantasy Tactics
    Final Fantasy VII
    flOw
    Flower
    Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2
    Goldeneye 007
    Gradius V
    Gunstar Heroes
    Halo 2
    Heavy Rain
    Jumpman
    Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth II
    Marble Madness
    MassEffect 2
    Metal Gear Solid
    Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
    Metroid Prime 2: Echos
    Minecraft
    Okami
    Pac-Man
    Panzer Dragoon II: Zwei
    Panzer Dragoon Orta
    Panzer Dragoon Saga
    Phantasy Star
    Phantasy Star IV
    Pikmin 2
    Pitfall II: Lost Caverns
    Pitfall!
    Portal
    Rez
    Shadow of Colossus
    Shenmue
    Sid Meier's Pirates!
    SimCity
    SimCity 2000
    Sonic Adventure
    Space Invaders
    Spy vs Spy
    Star Fox™
    Star Fox™: Assault
    Star Strike
    Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator
    StarCraft
    Super Mario 64
    Super Mario Brothers 3
    Super Mario Galaxy 2
    Super Mario World
    The Bard's Tale III: Thief of Fate
    The Legend of Zelda
    The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past
    The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
    The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
    The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
    Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
    Tomb Raider
    TRON: Maze-Atron
    Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
    Utopia
    Worms Armageddon
    Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure
    Zaxxon
    The Hackmaster

  • #2
    NES-cartridge art from 72 Pins makes retro games new, new games retro
    The Hackmaster

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