Goethe-Institut South Africa is proud to present the digital exhibition “Games and Politics” at CREATIVATE, the digital arts festival in Makhanda. The exhibition runs from 27 June until 7 July and showcases the latest developments in the field of computer games - the most popular kinds of the digital revolution, including the so-called Impact Games, Serious games and news games.
Leading up to the exhibition is a Train Jam for game developers from Johannesburg to the festival – a good 20 hours of train ride through beautiful South Africa combined with the aim to create serious or political games in that time.
The exhibition is opened by a walkabout on 28 June at 11am, followed by a presentation and Q&A on the games developed during the train jam at 2pm.
The “Games & Politics” exhibition highlights effects of globalization as well as other real-world references, which are further reflected significantly in computer games: they address inter alia the Syria conflict, the use of drones in war zones and global economic contexts of the globalized financial market.
Whether computer games are seen as a political issue, as an entertainment medium or – even – as art, is dependent on the context in which they are viewed. Every game positions itself in a society and simultaneously isolates society as the central issue in focus. Political relevance can therefore be attached to all computer games, even if they seem to evade any political action.
This holds true even in these games: The players issue directions but, in turn, have to play by the rules of the game in order to be able to play at all. At the other end of this spectrum are games which are consciously used for the purposes of political education or propaganda. This unfolding of computer games‘ political potential is explored in the touring exhibition.
Games & Politics is presented by the ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe in cooperation with the Goethe-Institut.
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