Heuristics from Curating and Exhibiting Game Art in the 21st Century

This paper outlines experiences and lessons learned in organizing a variety of digital art exhibits for small and large scale events. The perspective is provided as a cross-disciplinary set of heuristics, drawing on the decade long experience of the curator-artist and paying particular attention to playable electronic media (e.g. games and toys) as installation works in an art context. Lessons learned from exhibits organized or co-organized by the author in the United States, Europe and Asia are shared. These events were offered with support from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Leuphana University, the University of Utah, Abertay University and others. Additional observations are provided as an artist who has exhibited at more than 40 events in the last decade.

Formally the paper offers an ontology for defining distinguishing between exhibits, festivals and showcases. It is not the intention of the author to create a compendium of exhibition and curation practice. Instead the aim is to provide context and a starting point for the evolving intellectual examination of curatorial practices around digital games. It is hoped that these assertions support the growth of such work by providing a starting point for other practitioners.