RunJumpDev is pleased to announce Rules & Play, a one night exhibition of work from Lexington based game designers and artists. We are excited to be part of the January Gallery Hop, so join us at The Livery on January 16th, 2015 from 5 – 8 PM for an exploration into the art of rules and novel methods of interaction.
Rules & Play is the first Lexington show to explore the medium of interactivity in games. As video games have matured, people have begun to critique and analyze what it is about games that make them unique, finding that the exclusive character of games lies in their rule sets. Similar to how painters use surface and color to create a painting that communicates with a viewer, a game designer (the artist) working with a rule system uses the rules to create an interactive system that communicates with a viewer.
We invite everyone in the Lexington community to join us at Rules & Play as we investigate, celebrate, discuss and critique the art of rules, games, and interactive systems. On display will be interactive installations from eight solo or group artists, exploring how constructed rules convey meaning and subject matter. Installations range from a personality test completed over phone, to a narrative story unveiled based on participant proximity, to a living ASCII portrait of participants that changes dynamically based on software analysis of the viewer. Each installation incorporates technology in various and novel ways to offer a different method of interaction and message.
Rules & Play is being developed by RunJumpDev, a people-powered nonprofit created to grow and cultivate the local game development community in Lexington, KY. Seeded with raw passion for creating games, RunJumpDev hosts meetups, talks, and game jams to bolster local developers skills and connections.
Leading up to Rules & Play participating artists will offer images and descriptions of their works. We will post these below and on the Facebook event page for everyone to glimpse the show through the eyes of the artists.
Artist: Tim K. @mildmojo
Title: With Distance: Farther and Further
“I’m working with the idea of figurative distance and changing perspective. We sometimes say we have a different perspective on something after we’ve gained a bit of distance from it. That distance might be time or changing personal opinions or just filtration through someone else’s eyes.
Gallery-goers can physically move through a fog of perspectives by approaching or retreating from the installation. Small bits of narrative separated by distance—for some meaning of “distance”—work to paint a picture of changing perspectives. Visitors can experiment with this mapping between physical distance and narrative distance. Farther and further.”
Artist: Chris Wininger
Title: A Picture is Worth 1000 Words
“Currently a work in progress, A Picture is Worth 1000 Words is a software based installation that converts live video streams into ASCII (text) based representations. Fragments of literature weave through the fabric of the image based on simple rules concerning the intensity of light and color in the animation frame.”
Artist: Noah Adler
Title: Hyperneume
“Interact with generative audio via multiple smart devices, in a multiplayer environment. Adjustments to a step sequencer and sound effects controls are marked with the avatar of each person who adjusts it. Rhythm, pitch, tone, and timbre become a participatory, emergent experience.”
Artist: Matt Hudgins
Title: The Von Newman Personality Test
“The Von Newman Personality test is an automated phone system that will help callers truly know themselves after answering a series of thought provoking questions.”
Artist: Super Soul
Title: Untitled #1
“A richly textured canvas that invites the viewer to touch and engage to create a synthetic soundscape.”
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Artist: Amanda Wallace
Title: dream a bit bigger darling
“A tactile experience where the viewer engages with strands that change color based on the interactions.”