Game On (exhibition)
Encyclopedia
Game On is an exhibition organised and toured by the Barbican Art Gallery. The exhibition displays an historical view of video game development from early arcade game
s to the present. First featuring at the Barbican Art Gallery in 2002, the exhibition is claimed to have been seen by over 1 million people worldwide. The organisers state that "Visitors will be able to play games dating as far back as the 1960s" and hope to show the cultural impact of games and consoles. The exhibition attracted over 117,000 visitors in Melbourne
, Australia
in 2008 after previously attracting 99,500 at the Barbican Art Gallery in London and 127,000 in Chicago
.
The exhibition's original curator
, Conrad Bodman, stated that his goal was to "... look at the history, culture and the future of video games and try to unlock that for the general public." and "It's been really interesting developing the exhibition because these machines don't exist in public collections. [...] They are the preserve of a small number of collectors around the world." Henry Lowood, at Stanford University
, one of very few academics working to preserve video games and their culture, said "Since the late 20th century, cultural history includes digital game culture. [...] It is not only the case that the history of this medium will be lost if we do not preserve the history of digital games, but also that we will not be able to provide a complete cultural history of this period."
Touring staff with the exhibition include a technician found in a retro games shop in London, whose role it is to keep the machines in working order.
A review of the Melbourne exhibition stated "Game On presents an incredibly diverse range of items and information to those that wander its floorspace. The exhibition is a great gathering of the cultural items that have created the imaginative alternate worlds gamers have immersed themselves in over the age."
in Launceston
, Tasmania
. The Game On 2.0 will next be shown in Greece
.
[This collection was published in association with the Game On exhibition]
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
s to the present. First featuring at the Barbican Art Gallery in 2002, the exhibition is claimed to have been seen by over 1 million people worldwide. The organisers state that "Visitors will be able to play games dating as far back as the 1960s" and hope to show the cultural impact of games and consoles. The exhibition attracted over 117,000 visitors in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 2008 after previously attracting 99,500 at the Barbican Art Gallery in London and 127,000 in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
The exhibition's original curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
, Conrad Bodman, stated that his goal was to "... look at the history, culture and the future of video games and try to unlock that for the general public." and "It's been really interesting developing the exhibition because these machines don't exist in public collections. [...] They are the preserve of a small number of collectors around the world." Henry Lowood, at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, one of very few academics working to preserve video games and their culture, said "Since the late 20th century, cultural history includes digital game culture. [...] It is not only the case that the history of this medium will be lost if we do not preserve the history of digital games, but also that we will not be able to provide a complete cultural history of this period."
Touring staff with the exhibition include a technician found in a retro games shop in London, whose role it is to keep the machines in working order.
Showings
The exhibition has been displayed at:- Barbican Art Gallery in London from May 2002 to September 2002
- The Royal Museum at the National Museum of ScotlandNational Museum of ScotlandThe National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland, was formed in 2006 with the merger of the Museum of Scotland, with collections relating to Scottish antiquities, culture and history, and the Royal Museum next door, with collections covering science and technology, natural history, and world...
in Edinburgh from October 2002 to February 2003 - Tilburg Art Foundation in the Netherlands from May 2003 to August 2003
- Helsinki City Art MuseumHelsinki City Art MuseumHelsinki City Art Museum or Helsinki Art Museum is an art museum in Helsinki, Finland. It has exhibitions in two main locations: Meilahti Art Museum in Meilahti, near Tamminiemi, and the Tennis Palace Art Museum near the city centre. The museum also manages the Kluuvi Gallery.-External Links:***...
in Finland from September 2003 to December 2003 - A European Capital of CultureEuropean Capital of CultureThe European Capital of Culture is a city designated by theEuropean Union for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong European dimension....
event in LilleLilleLille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
, France from May 2004 to August 2004 - Eretz Israel MuseumEretz Israel MuseumThe Eretz Israel Museum is a historical and archeological museum in the Ramat Aviv neighborhood of Tel Aviv, Israel.Eretz Israel Museum, established in 1953, has a large display of archaeological, anthropological and historical artifacts organized in a series of exhibition pavilions on its grounds...
in IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
from September 2004 to January 2005. - The Tech Museum of InnovationThe Tech Museum of InnovationThe Tech Museum of Innovation, or simply The Tech, is a museum located in the heart of Silicon Valley, in downtown San Jose, California USA.-History:...
, San JoseSan Jose, CaliforniaSan Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
from September 2005 to January 2006. - Museum of Science and IndustryMuseum of Science and Industry (Chicago)The Museum of Science and Industry is located in Chicago, Illinois, USA in Jackson Park, in the Hyde Park neighborhood adjacent to Lake Michigan. It is housed in the former Palace of Fine Arts from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition...
in ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
from March 2005 to September 2005 and again in February 2006 to April 2006 - Pacific Science CenterPacific Science CenterThe Pacific Science Center is a science museum in Seattle, Washington.-Organization:Pacific Science Center is an independent, non-profit science museum based in Seattle, Washington...
in Seattle from May 2006 to August 2006. - Science MuseumScience Museum (London)The Science Museum is one of the three major museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is part of the National Museum of Science and Industry. The museum is a major London tourist attraction....
in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
from October 2006 to February 2007. - CyberportCyberportCyberport is a creative digital community with a cluster of technology and digital content tenants. It is owned and managed by Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited which is wholly owned by the Hong Kong SAR Government...
in Hong KongHong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
from July 2007 to October 2007. - Australian Centre for the Moving ImageAustralian Centre for the Moving ImageThe Australian Centre for the Moving Image, or ACMI, is dedicated to the moving image in all its forms. It is located in Federation Square, in Melbourne, Australia, across four levels of the Alfred Deakin Building...
in MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
from March 2008 until July 2008. - State Library of QueenslandState Library of QueenslandThe State Library of Queensland is a large public library provided to the people of the State of Queensland, Australia, by the state government. Its legislative basis is provided by the Queensland Libraries Act 1988...
in BrisbaneBrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
from November 2008 to February 2009. - National Science and Technology MuseumNational Science and Technology MuseumThe National Science and Technology Museum is a museum of applied science and technology in Kaohsiung in southwest Taiwan.Established in November 1997, is covers 19 hectares on Chiuju Road in Sanmin District...
in KaohsiungKaohsiungKaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...
, Taiwan from 18 July to 31 October 2009. - The Cellars of Cureghem in Brussels, Belgium from December 2009 to April 2010
- Ambassador TheatreAmbassador Theatre (Dublin)The Ambassador Cinema was Dublin's longest-running cinema and was operational on and off until 1999. It is now a music venue.The building was constructed as part of the Rotunda Hospital in 1764 as an assembly hall and social rooms on what is now called Parnell Street.From 1897 onwards, the venue...
, Dublin: 20 September 2010 to 30 January 2011 - Galerias MonterreyGalerías MonterreyGalerías Monterrey was the first shopping mall in Monterrey, Mexico. Founded in 1983 with Liverpool, it has grown to attract upscale fashion stores, restaurants, and movie theaters.-External links:*...
in MonterreyMonterreyMonterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
, MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
from 30 April to 30 June 2011.
A review of the Melbourne exhibition stated "Game On presents an incredibly diverse range of items and information to those that wander its floorspace. The exhibition is a great gathering of the cultural items that have created the imaginative alternate worlds gamers have immersed themselves in over the age."
Game On 2.0
On 3 July 2010, an upgraded version of the exhibition, entitled Game On 2.0, was opened at the Inveresk site of the Queen Victoria Museum and Art GalleryQueen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery
The Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery is a museum located in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia. Established in 1891, the Queen Victoria has a strong reputation for its excellent collection, which includes fine exhibitions of colonial art, contemporary craft and design, Tasmanian history and...
in Launceston
Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...
, Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. The Game On 2.0 will next be shown in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Further reading
King, L. ed., Game on: The History and Culture of Videogames (London, Laurence King: 2002).[This collection was published in association with the Game On exhibition]