game arts curators kit

[droqen]

regarding
game arts curators kit (but the physical printed book special edition)

~ backlink still life games, haiku games (Active Project)

[droqen]

p7 (GOALS) "Video games and related participatory media involve various practices yet often engage audiences through narrow distribution channels. The common perception is that video games are fundamentally commercial products, played domestically--often alone--and function in isolation."

My engagement with this text today is well reflected in the opening chapter, goals. I am trying to figure out what to do with droqever, with our conceptual haiku games, what it is that I am even trying to do and why.

This chapter catches a lot of that for me; I feel a dissatisfaction -- but honestly also a fear* -- when I consider tangling with the existing channels. It is difficult for me to work out exactly what part of my drive is a drive away, a negative impulse.

*regarding droqen's "fear"

[droqen]

i am... devising a curatorial strategy from this perspective... i want to serve not my ego, but some powerful unserved human need out in the world... whatever that means. i think the game arts curators kit will hopefully touch on that.

[droqen]

p8,9 (GOALS)

"Practitioners of this movement aim to
. . . gain recognition for games underrepresented
. . . provide visibility for cultural and social groups marginalized
. . . provide audiences with methods of engaging critically with games
. . . celebrate videogame subcultures
. . . recognize, expand, and celebrate gaming skills and expertise
. . . [share] videogames as critical cultural phenomena"

These all feel plainly wrong to me as motivations, they are half-motivations, from the perspective only of creators. The curator supports the creator, which is all well and good, but for whom does the creator create? What "powerful unserved human need out in the world" is being captured? These are all internal. Self-serving.

~ reflecting on these GOALS for 'still life games, haiku games'

[droqen]

the potential [valuable] space
what is keeping other [people] from claiming this space?
(costs? danger to existing space or image? perceived nonvalue of the space?)
can you overcome the perceived barriers?
(develop a plausible plan where value exceeds costs)
a need - something that isn't being provided adequately or at all today
incumbent inertia - current providers serving this group are unable or unwilling to provide that "something" efficiently or cost-effectively
new capability - you can envision new ways of meeting those needs profitably...

[droqen]

a social business "is financially self-sustainable" and has "the aim of increasing social impact, for example expanding the company's reach, improving the products or services or in other ways subsidizing the social mission."

i am asking, what is the social mission?

[droqen]

i will not get the answer yet.

p19 (FORMATS)

[droqen]

"The format of video game curation can be highly varied, from one-night events, festivals, and temporary exhibitions, to permanent museum collections and archives. . . . Generally, formats are informed by what type of work you are curating, the venue in which you are presenting it, your target audience, and the duration of the activity."

Oh, there are some examples. This is great!

[droqen]

I am back from the examples, particularly biome[..]glitch.me and Don't Die. They have all the problems that I have had, personally, with droqever, and other real-world collections... There is too much work, a great deal of work, and none of it a thing of bottomless depth & craft. I am not sucked into the world of a smaller piece of work in a collection, and so perhaps a collection is not the right shape for something?

But, consider Rooftop Cop; I loved that game. I suppose it helped that there were things to get 'sucked into', not that each thing was meant to be played for a long time. Hmm.

[droqen]

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
- Budget (How long can you sustain the activity? What various expenses can you afford?)
- Venue
- Time (Are you scheduling for overlap with other events? Who will be responsible for promoting, documenting, and maintaining that documentation? Is there a plan to pass off these responsibilities?)
- Durability (Maintenance if things break)
- Safety (and accessibility)
- Programming (are there other events happening at the same time or esp. within the event? e.g. talks, parties, tours)
- Interpretation (themes, who will attend, how will you frame the work for your expected attendees)
- Participants (artists)
- Documentation (How do you hope people remember this activity, and what do you hope they learn from it? how do i hope i remember this activity, and what do i hope i learn from it? selfish motivation i am aware but as a self-curator i suppose it is what it is. solipsism and sonder.)

[droqen]

Selection (p23-)

"- What is the purpose of your selection?
- Who is it for?
- What are your constraints?
- What process(es) should you use?"

i am remembering that part of the goal is to be curatable, something like that... make your own mixtapes, so to speak. how can i facilitate that if the games live on a website, if they exist in an immutable blob? hmm.

[droqen]

PURPOSE AND MEANING

A clear, concise statement for what you wish to convey . . . A theme as general as "the history of games" doesn't provide reasons to include one work over another

AUDIENCE

Considering who you're selecting for and presenting to . . . pout yourself in the shoes of who you're curating for; consider how you can satisfy and subvert theiryour expectations

[droqen]

Themes (p29-)

VOICE
"who are you, and what do you care about?"
good advice

CONTEXT
where is the exhibition happening?
a question again of audience but also place. "the physical environment of your event presents practical limitations and thematically impacts what you choose to show." i ran into this with the mobile controls of droqever... how annoying!
who is it for?
"consider who else might be invested in the exhibition's narrative, personally, professionally, or even financially . . . weigh this carefully when funding opportunities arise. These constraints or directives may fundamentally alter the theme"
when is it happening?

VISION AND SCOPE
"Write a curatorial statement early in this process that clearly states your vision for the exhibition."

[droqen]

Audience (p35-)

Some example audiences are discussed in this chapter.

"PROFESSIONALS . . not only those who make games for a living. . . [they] may work in many game-related industries . . . interested in educational workshops, skill-building events, and networking opportunities. . . . industry workers . . . may have vested interests in subjects such as worker rights issues in the game industry."

"GAMERS . . . [have] a high degree of game literacy, but often in specific games and genres. Gamers may become disinterested in games other than those they like."

"The ART AND CULTURE AUDIENCE is not motivated by an interest in games . . . instead . . . with a broader view of culture . . .
. . . venue (e.g. regular museum-goers[..]) . . . context ([..] a medium adjacent to their geek culture [..] the event for the party) . . .
While this audience often needs more game literacy mediation, their less stringent expectations may make them more interested in various games. . . . [these] audiences will judge included games not necessarily by "game standards" but rather by broader cultural comparisons."

"SPECIFIC IDENTITIES // An audience from a particular geographical location, ethnicity, class, gender, or cultural group may present unique curatorial challenges."

[droqen]

Oh my god noo it's my chapter. I am not even going to read it. skip skip skip