public play
Digital Games and Public Space
 
Games Convention (Leipzig) Aug, 22nd - Aug, 26th 2007
 

 
 
Digital technologies now support our day-to-day communications and allow us access to gigantic amounts of knowledge and information. Physical space is increasingly being linked to virtual information. Already a daily reality, navigation systems in cars and GPS-enabled mobile phones represent the first harbingers of this development, which turns urban space, in particular, into a complex, dynamic data space, in which the constant exchange of a wide range of information takes place.
Thanks to new technologies, information can be customised and managed highly efficiently. In addition, users, as active users of media and urban space, are given the opportunity to create their own information filters and agents. Entertainment will make a key contribution to creating, establishing and making these new forms of computer-supported social interaction technically compatible with the mass market.
public play displays work that picks out the themes of this development, questions them and comments on them. Most of the works are interactive, offering visitors the opportunity to build a picture for themselves in a fun way of current and future interaction scenarios. Alongside an Atari gaming machine documenting the fact that games have begun their victory march into public spaces, public play exhibits work that encourages the visitor in an innovative, critical and entertaining way to get involved and to reflect.
public play brings together the work of international artists and inventors from the areas of media art, game art, performance and interaction design. The artists included in the exhibition pick up again on age-old game ideas, such as skipping and shadow play. The new generation of young creatives is, as it were, designing ideas and devices for the digitalized playground of the 21st century, that at the same time carry on traditions in play.
 
Works and Artists
 

• Private Public (2004), Joe Malia (UK) 
• Busking 386DX (2004), Alexei Shulgin (RU)
• Jumping Rope (2004), Daphna Talithman, Orna Portugaly and Sharon Younger (IL)
  Living Room (2004), Victoria Fang (USA)
  Shadow Monsters (2005), Philip Worthington (UK)
• Blinkenlights Cityhochhaus (2001/2007), Projekt Blinkenlights/ Stephan 'ST' Kambor (D)
• Gamblers (2004), Hennig&Greif (D)
• Pong Dress (2006), Ludic Society (CH/AT)
• WoW (2006), Aram Bartholl (D)

Arcade '84 (2001), Dave Dries (USA) 

 
Exhibition Photos (Photographer: Gregor Baumann) 

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• Jumping Rope (2004), Daphna Talithman, Orna Portugaly, Sharon Younger (IL)
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• Living Room (2004), Victoria Fang (USA)
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• Shadow Monsters (2005), Philip Worthington (UK)
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Busking 386DX (2004), Alexei Shulgin (RU)
 

Private Public (2004), Joe Malia (UK)
 

Blinkenlights Cityhochhaus (2001/2007), Projekt Blinkenlights/
Stephan 'ST' Kambor (D)
 

Gamblers (2004), Hennig&Greif (D)


Pong Dress (2006), Ludic Society (CH/AT)
 

WoW (2006), Aram Bartholl (D)
 

Arcade '84 (2001), Dave Dries (USA)
Gauntlet (Atari, 1985), Retrogames e.V. (D)