Game (Life): Video Games in Contemporary Art

December 18, 2009–February 13, 2010

Featured Artists:
JASON ROHRER, JONATHAN BLOW, RANDY SMITH,
PAOLO PEDERCINI, JENOVA CHEN, PETRI PURHO,
JAKUB DVORSKY, HEATHER KELLEY, AURIEA HARVEY,
MARK ESSEN AND MICHAEL SAMYN

Video games have emerged as our culture’s dominant form of popular entertainment, eclipsing both music and cinema. Lacking structured narratives, morally ambiguous, and oblivious to geo-political boundaries,
the rise of video game culture is set to transform our notions of identity and location, blurring boundaries between the real and the un-real. Game(Life) transforms the gallery into a functioning video arcade. More than a dozen provocative and reflective works by contemporary artists and independent game designers from around the world engage visitors in play, exploration and confront questions of political activism, pacifism, violence, emotional resonance and beauty in gaming environments.

In collaboration with Champlain College’s Game Design program, Game(Life) will offer an artist/game designer lecture series featuring:

JASON ROHRER – Author of PASSAGE and BETWEEN
Friday, 1.15 @ Champlain College – Alumni Auditorium, 7-8:30PM
Saturday, 1.16 @ Firehouse Gallery, 4:30-6PM

HEATHER KELLEY – Author of SUGAR
Friday, 1.22 @ Champlain College – Alumni Auditorium, 7-8:30PM
Saturday, 1.23 @ Firehouse Gallery, 4:30-6PM

JONATHAN BLOW – Author of BRAID
Friday, 1.29 @ Champlain College – Alumni Auditorium, 7-8:30PM
Saturday, 1.30 @ Firehouse Gallery, 4:30-6PM

RANDY SMITH – Author of SPIDER: SECRET OF BRYCE MANOR
Friday, 2.05 @ Champlain College – Alumni Auditorium, 7-8:30PM
Saturday, 2.06 @ Firehouse Gallery, 4:30-6PM

CLOSING RECEPTION
Saturday, 2.13 @ Firehouse Gallery, 4-5:30PM
With Gameboy Rock performance from JAMES KOCHALKA SUPERSTAR and KABOOM BOOM, and artist talk from PAOLO PEDERCINI – Author of FAITH FIGHTER and THE MCDONALD’S VIDEOGAME

This exhibition is sponsored by: CHAMPLAIN COLLEGE COMMUNICATION AND CREATIVE MEDIA DIVISION, UVM COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES, and THE ANDY WARHOL FOUNDATION FOR THE VISUAL ARTS

Location: Firehouse Gallery

135 Church Street, next to City Hall

Firehouse Center for the Visual Arts, Ground Floor

Burlington, VT, 05401

Phone: 802-865-7165

Contact: Amanda Sanfilippo

asanfilippo@ci.burlington.vt.us

Directions: The Firehouse Gallery is located on the street level of the Firehouse Center for the Visual Arts in downtown Burlington next to City Hall on the Church Street Marketplace.

see map