Playing with the (Im)possible I was invited to give an online talk “Decolonizing the imaginary through the tactical us of machinima” at Merz Academie, in the frame of Playing with the (Im)possible – Computing Games curated by Diana Mc Carthy.

Playing with the (Im)possible

Just fifty years ago, a ball was pushed back and forth across a screen. It wasn’t the moon landing, but this simple action was the basis for one of the first computer games: “Pong.” This game was crucial to the development of a global industry that today generates billions in profits. Since then, computer games have become a ubiquitous medium, found everywhere in one form or another. They unite, divide, captivate and are even addictive – they are an integral part of today’s culture. Candycrush, Grand Theft Auto, Minecraft – these are just a few of the most popular games played by people everywhere on various digital devices.

This ubiquitous cultural phenomenon is not only about high-tech and money flow, artists and activists are also involved. In the lecture series “Playing with the (Im)possible – Computing Games” artists, activists, developers and game enthusiasts will open up a spectrum of seeing, playing and making games.

Isabelle Arvers talks about the ways computer games can help foster different kinds of knowledge. Arvers is a doctoral student at LARSyS, Interactive Technologies Institute (ITI), FBAUL. She is a French artist and curator whose research focuses on the interaction between art and video games.