Indie Games Question Historical and Social Barriers: Exhibition "Under Commons Vol.2" Where Contemporary Art and Games Intersect (Art Center NEW)
The exhibition "Under Commons Vol.2" explores "access" through the intersection of indie games and contemporary art at Art Center NEW in Yokohama.Summary
The exhibition "Under Commons Vol.2 - Hypothesizing Access -" is on view at Art Center NEW in Yokohama until November 15, featuring collaborations between indie games and contemporary artists. Co-organized by Ichiro Fujimoto and anarcha-feminist Rin Takashima, this second edition focuses not only on games as experiential media but also on the themes they address and the personal and social experiences and structures behind them. Fujimoto highlights "queer games" as works that question social, sexual, and gender norms through gameplay, while also functioning as "small games" that archive individual existence, akin to zines in third-wave feminism. The exhibition features artists Mai Endo, Kazuki Oishi, and Kei Kiyohara, who each play different games and create artworks translating the games' core themes, rules, and production backgrounds. Also included are introductions to globally popular indie games and works by American artist Finnegan Shannon, including an audio guide piece. The exhibition connects artists and game developers through two aspects: works/games as tools enabling access to certain realities or knowledge, and as analytical tools revealing how structural barriers hinder some people's choices and accessibility.
(Source：Tokyo Art Beat)