Exhibition "F(R)ICTION: Art & Games"
Deeply embedded in our culture, video games are now used by a new generation of artists as a powerful medium for expression. Discover some of the artists featured in the exhibition.
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Overview
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Information
In recent years, video games—and references to them—have taken on an increasingly prominent role in contemporary art, appearing in exhibitions by established curators at leading institutions. This proliferation of exhibitions attests to the fact that video games have become an undeniable cultural force. A new generation of artists now uses games and video games not only as a natural means of expression, but as a way to articulate their relationship to the past, contemporary culture, and society.
However, there is a parallel history rooted in communities of experimental game creation that have worked radically with the form since the 1980s. These creators have been shaping the medium’s form, aesthetics, and possibilities, expanding and stretching games as a medium. F(R)ICTION juxtaposes these trajectories to see what this reveals in terms of priorities and aesthetics.
The exhibition also reflects the breadth of expressions and perspectives that have shaped experimental game-making, bringing together creators from different generations, backgrounds, and parts of the world.
F(R)ICTION brings together two ideas: the encounter and the possibility of the imaginary. Friction begins with difference, when different textures meet. Friction slows things down but it is also what makes movement possible. As Anna Tsing reminds us “A wheel turns because of its encounter with the surface of the road; spinning in the air it goes nowhere.” F(R)ICTION references friction not as resistance, but as a condition for movement and change.
Curators: Lynn Hughes & Ida Toft
Hours
Wednesday to Friday from 11 am to 9 pm
Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 7 pm
Last entry 1 hour before closing
Admission
General admission: $25
Student and 65+ rate: $18
Ages 11-16: $12
Free for children 11 and under
Come back—for free !
Didn’t have time to see everything? With 35 game-artworks offering over a hundred hours of gameplay, it’s impossible to experience everything in just one shot. After your first visit, your ticket grants you unlimited access to the exhibition.
Offer valid upon presentation of your ticket, subject to availability. Proof of purchase may be required.
Group visit
For groups of 10 or more, 15% discount.
Make a group reservation →
Credits
ELEKTRA
Alain Thibault, artistic director
Ida Toft, production director
Lynn Hughes, production co-director
Sarah Bastien, support for curating
Bianca Gauthier, production support
Roxane Lafrance, mediation support
Mathis André, communications director
Inès Legrand, communications support
Mathilde Käppler @umlaut_design, visual identity
Charlotte Boucher @par.charlotte, graphic design support
Patrice Moïse and Julie Miron, technical director
Marc-Antoine Jetté-Léger, video games technical director
Bon Matin Studio, exhibition set up
Katherine Melançon, printing coordinator
Hadi Jamali, fabrication coordinator
Don Undeen, fabricator
Arsenal art contemporain
Pierre Trahan, president, co-founder
Anne-Marie Trahan, co-founder
Éric Poirier, project and operation co-director
Pascale Robillard, communications and marketing manager
Louis-Carl Laplante, mediation and front desk manager
Maude Désilets, event and operations coordinator
Zacharie Gauvreau, technical director
ELEKTRA Montreal and Arsenal Contemporary Art thanks the artists, partners, collaborators, sponsors and volunteers for their precious support.
Venue
Arsenal Contemporary Art Montreal
