Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/6960
"Play," a creative form "older than culture," according to Johan Huizinga, has served humanity in such diverse ways as entertain- ment, education, exercise, conflict resolution, ritual, and self- expression. But it was not until the 20th century that games and the play experiences they provide began to be perceived as an art form, as well. With nods to the past and the future, and with an open acknowledgment of all the awkwardness, bravado, and measured successes thus far, the Art History of Games conference held earlier this month sought to more clearly explore and articulate the importance of games as a legitimate art form. Hosted by the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and the Georgia Institute of Technology's Digi- tal Media Program, the three-day Art History of Games symposium in Atlanta was the first of its kind to bring together experts in the fields of game studies, art history, and the related areas of cultural studies. Matthew Maloney, digital animator and associate dean for the SCAD School of Film, Digital Media, and Performing Arts, describes the conference as both sig- nificant and timely. "Games and art have connections going back to the early 20th century, but the subject is not very well explored," he says. "While there is much discussion on whether games are art, it is often limited to comparisons to Hollywood cinema rather than contemporary art. is symposium provides a venue for artists, scholars, and game developers to expand on games as a form of art, as well as set the path for conversations going forward." e conference provided attendees access to leading artists and academics in the video game industry, and featured a host of panel discussions, presentations, and Q&A sessions. Prominent game designers who spoke include SCAD profes- sor Brenda Brathwaite, a pioneer at the forefront of women in games studies who recently received the Vanguard Award for her game "Train" at IndieCade; and Ian Bogost, associate professor at Georgia Tech's Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts and founding part- ner of the award-winning independent video game studio Persuasive Games. "Games are a part of human culture," says Bogost. "ey have been for millennia, and we can study them for many reasons: to make better ones and to learn to plumb their depths as players, for example. But perhaps the most important and least common reason is to understand their role in our lives." Conference participant Celia Pearce, assistant professor of digital media in the School of Literature, Communication, and Culture at Georgia Tech, where she also directs the Experimental Game Lab and the Emergent Game Group, provides an intrigu- ing perspective about the evolution of games and their legitimacy as an art form. "When the words "video game" and "art" are used in the Presenting at the Art History of Games symposium was Auriea Harvey and Michael Samyn from Tales of Tales, creator of Vanitas, a unique title for the iPhone and iPod. February 2010 44 n n n n Education