Friday, February 22, 2013

Vector: Game + Art Convergence (Feb 20 - 24)

 
Vector: Game + Art Convergence is a not-for-profit initiative dedicated to showcasing contemporary game based artworks.  Over these five days, Vector will feature exhibitions, screenings, workshops, performances and round table discussions, all with the intent of creating a critical dialogue about the medium of games and its expressive potential as a contemporary art practice. - Clint Enns

(Vector: Game + Art Convergence is on February 20 - 24 at Interaccess , Propeller, Bento-Miso and VideoFag. Tickets and the Full Program are available on their website, Vector Game Art Fest.)
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+++Exhibitions (open daily during the festival)+++
Other Worlds
Interaccess
Co-curated by Prosthetic Knowledge and mrghosty
An exhibition which addresses digital space as procedural landscapes. Rather than creating games where prescribed routes and narratives directing player movement and action, the works of Other Worlds position the player as a digital flaneur; free to move anywhere within these worlds, while occupying the position of a detached observer. 
Other Worlds features the Canadian exhibition debut of The Night Journey, created by Bill Viola and Tracy Fullerton in additition to works by Luis Hernandez, Alex Myers & Jeff Thompson, Lea Albaugh, Arcane Kids, Ed Key & David Kanaga, Alan Kwan, Cyril Lecomte-Languérand, and Axel Shokk.

Ludacy
Bento-Miso
Curated by Christine Kim.
An experimental workshop/exhibition project which takes 3 young game designers and asks them to transform their games into new media art installations.
Ludacy festures work by Damian Sommer, Alex Martin (Droqen) and Cale Bradbury (Net Grind).

net.works
Propellor
This exhibition surveys the myriad of practices that fall under the umbrella of game art creative production. Video, photography, art games, textile and more.
net.works features works by  Kenton Sheely, notendo, anna anthropy, Christian Streinz, Aaron Oldenbury, Jose Acosta, Jason Nelson, Myfanwy Ashmore, Gavin Bailey, Tom Corby & Jonathan Mackenzie, Hannah Epstein, Alex Myers and coll.eo.
*****
+++Screenings and Performances+++
Wednesday, February 20 at 7PM at VideoFag
Stranger Comes to Town: Identity and the Avatar.
Exploring the politics of the avatar in relationship to identity by examining massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG), technologies of biometrics and the border that separates our real identity with our digital selves. Featuring films and videos by Peggy Ahwesh, Zach Blas, Valerie Brewer, Jacqueline Goss and Toronto artist Sandra Danilovic.

Friday, February 22 at 8PM at Propellor
Meditations on the Medium
What do a classic video game cabinet, a tv, and a snack dispenser have in common? How are they different? This program reflects on the nature of the medium. Featuring films and videos by Stephanie Barber, Eddo Stern, Scott Stark, Beflix, Gun Holmström, Meesoo Lee, IP Yuk-Yiu. 

Friday, February 22 at 10PM at Interaccess
Playing Personae: Engendered + Embodied Performances.
Using games as the focal point for discussions of gender and embodiment, these performances address the representations of gender in gaming culture and technologies.
Featuring performances by Angela Washko and Toronto artists Daniele Hopkins + Kyle Duffield.

Saturday, February 23 from 10AM-2PM at Bento-Miso
Bonus Level 1: SUPERCADE!!!
A special screening of animation, commercials and other ephemera from the history of game culture’s intersection with broadcast television. We invite you to bring your children and your inner-child to spend Saturday morning eating sugar cereals and watching classic cartoons inspired by your favourite video games.

Saturday, February 23 at 8PM at Propellor
Awaiting the End of the Beginning
Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. Exploring the competitive nature of video games and the desire for simulated violence.  Featuring films and videos by Craig Baldwin, s.ara, Paul Atkins & Ian Campbell, Kathleen Daniel, Wei– Ming Ho, Josh Bricker and Jon Rafman.

Saturday, February 23 at 10PM at Interaccess
Engines of Performance

Game engines as tools for live performance. Toronto based artists Toca Loca will be performing their Halo Ballet (a live choreographed ballet performance in Halo, featuring a live musical score).  Foci+Loci creates live electro-acoustic sound pieces using custom game levels built in Sony’s LittleBigPlanet. 

Sunday, February 24 at 7PM at VideoFag
Closing Festival Party and Screening: Bonus Level 2: f@n f_uckery!
Weird and wonderful experimentation and creative interventions made by fans. This night promises to be strange. Featuring films and videos by Bryan Peterson, Mat Lindenberg Tomasz Wlaźlak, David Musgrave, and Toronto artists, Jim Munroe, Mark Pellegrino, Edward Shallow and Sean Grounds.

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