Video Games as Modern Art

Reldan · Nov 30, 2012

http://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2012/11/29/video-games-14-in-the-collection-for-starters

Museum of Modern Art has started a video game collection for games that it has deemed to be part of a new category of artworks.

Paola Antonelli - Senior Curator of the Department of Architecture and Design said:

Are video games art? They sure are, but they are also design, and a design approach is what we chose for this new foray into this universe. The games are selected as outstanding examples of interaction design—a field that MoMA has already explored and collected extensively, and one of the most important and oft-discussed expressions of contemporary design creativity. Our criteria, therefore, emphasize not only the visual quality and aesthetic experience of each game, but also the many other aspects—from the elegance of the code to the design of the player’s behavior—that pertain to interaction design. In order to develop an even stronger curatorial stance, over the past year and a half we have sought the advice of scholars, digital conservation and legal experts, historians, and critics, all of whom helped us refine not only the criteria and the wish list, but also the issues of acquisition, display, and conservation of digital artifacts that are made even more complex by the games’ interactive nature. This acquisition allows the Museum to study, preserve, and exhibit video games as part of its Architecture and Design collection.

• Pac-Man (1980)
• Tetris (1984)
• Another World (1991)
• Myst (1993)
• SimCity 2000 (1994)
• vib-ribbon (1999)
• The Sims (2000)
• Katamari Damacy (2004)
• EVE Online (2003)
• Dwarf Fortress (2006)
• Portal (2007)
• flOw (2006)
• Passage (2008)
• Canabalt (2009)

They're actively seeking to add the following as well:

Paola Antonelli - Senior Curator of the Department of Architecture and Design said:

Over the next few years, we would like to complete this initial selection with Spacewar! (1962), an assortment of games for the Magnavox Odyssey console (1972), Pong (1972), Snake (originally designed in the 1970s; Nokia phone version dates from 1997), Space Invaders (1978), Asteroids (1979), Zork (1979), Tempest (1981), Donkey Kong (1981), Yars’ Revenge (1982), M.U.L.E. (1983), Core War (1984), Marble Madness (1984), Super Mario Bros. (1985), The Legend of Zelda (1986), NetHack (1987), Street Fighter II (1991), Chrono Trigger (1995), Super Mario 64 (1996), Grim Fandango (1998), Animal Crossing (2001), and Minecraft (2011).

That's actually a pretty damn good list and a great starting point.

Ingmar · Nov 30, 2012

I think the oddest choice there is picking a SimCity sequel rather than just the original SimCity.

Anabanana · Nov 30, 2012

Just FYI, there's already a thread for this here.

Reldan · Nov 30, 2012

Goram it. I didn't see anything on the first page because I must be blind or something and assumed it just wasn't here.

Carry on people, nothing to see here.

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Video Games as Modern Art

Reldan Keeper of the Elemental Materials

Ingmar Armchair Designer

Anabanana Hatoful Pigeon

Reldan Keeper of the Elemental Materials

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Video Games as Modern Art

Reldan Keeper of the Elemental Materials

Ingmar Armchair Designer

Anabanana Hatoful Pigeon

Reldan Keeper of the Elemental Materials

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