Art-Game

Posted on May 20, 2008, by Harvey Kirkpatrick 
Filed Under Art & Literature

Artist Sandra Jass in collaboration with The Artel, has invited Kingston to take part in an art-game that will last 1 week. This new exhibition is part of Welcome HERE, a 9-month project of The Artel focused on enabling of a series of multidisciplinary art presentation and participation opportunities rooted in creative sharing and collaboration, and distinguished by communion with the Kingston community. The rules of the game are as follows:

  1. The game will be initiated at the Opening Reception. You are invited to form teams at the opening reception+dance party, Friday, May 23, 8-11PM, The Artel. “Let the Games Begin”.
  2. The game will be created by those who sign up for teams.
  3. The game will have at least two teams.
  4. The game will have rules. The rules will be set by the participants.
  5. The initial participants will set all the rules. Each team will set its own time commitment. The venue available is The Artel.
  6. The game will be competitive, with each team competing against the other(s) for a prize.
  7. The prize will be set by the participants.
  8. The game must be physical. It cannot be just a mind game. It must engage the body.
  9. The game must be mental. It cannot be just a physical game. It must engage the mind.
  10. The competition must be documented in some manner. The documentation could, but need not, be part of the competition. The documentation could, but need not, be part of the exhibition.
  11. The competition will unfold during the course of the exhibition and culminate at the completion of the exhibition, at the closing reception+dance party, Saturday May 31, 8-11PM, The Artel.
  12. All other criteria will be determined by the participants.

Jass describes her project as having risen from her fascination with what she calls “viral art” or art that is communally or collaboratively created. Viral art, Jass explains, expands and changes based on the intervention of individuals, which means that outcomes cannot be immediately predicted. Such a seemingly simple task as creating the rules of a game explores and plays out complex social dynamics of gender and other power variables, as well as the ability of the group to collaborate, problem solve, and resolve conflict, should it arise. People will choose to engage or disengage based on their own relationships and past experiences of group activities, their comfort with leadership, and their perceptions of authority. But in tandem to the possibilities of analysis, Jass is also quick to note that “This should (also) be fun”.

We can’t wait to find out what sort of ideas Kingston and members of The Artel collective come up with on this one. It is definitely a show not to be missed, and since it’s running for an entire week, there are lots of opportunities to check it out.

Comments

One Response to “Art-Game”

  1. Ian Jackson on May 21st, 2008 8:36 am

    Drunken lawn darts anyone?

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