Game on
28 Aug 2014 3:01 AM IST
Games have always existed in cultures and gaming has become ubiquitous with the information technology boom. Through this residency, Khoj tries to explore the idea of game and play through the lens of contemporary art practice. From games as tools of social engagement and change making to games which are studies in hardcore lucid experiences, this show explores it all.
The participating artistes are Mohini Dutta, Shradha Jain, Zuleikha Chaudhary, Krishnarjun Bhattacharya and Vinit Nikumbh.
Says Pooja Sood, Director, ‘Khoj would like to incubate and be a stage for the co-inhabitation of multiple kinds of actors in this emergent community of local and independent game makers. This community defies any neat slotting and categorizing into any grouping such as art, science, technology or entertainment. This makes it an opportunity for an intersection with an art space like Khoj that celebrates the liminality of practices and seeks to expand the notions of art practice.’
Zuleikha Chaudhary, a well-known theatre person has explored the theatricality and performative aspect within games and gaming through a dramatic exploration of a basketball. She says, ‘The Bhawal case was an extended Indian court case about a possible impostor who claimed to be the prince of Bhawal, who was presumed dead a decade earlier. My project layers this trial with an audition using the framework of a game to consider being yourself and being someone else and where telling the truth and faking dissolve into each other and become indistinguishable.’
Mohini Dutta is a game developer working out of NYC and she has worked on a game that bases itself within the issues of tribal displacement in the Mahan forests. Her influences are jungle sounds, tribal aesthetics and the current political situation in Mahan. Her work explores play through the lens of cultural immersion, education, and disruptive spectacle.
Shradha Jain comes from a background of film and video communication and is interested in board games. She has worked on a public installation of traditional board games. Her primary interest lies in conserving and celebrating Indian cultural heritage. She has travelled extensively in Northern and Northeastern parts of the country and is currently documenting the indigenous game culture through her travel. ‘My primary interest lies in studying and reviving the rich cultural heritage of traditional board games and play culture. I am committed to documenting and representing various forms of play that form a seamless cultural tradition overcoming geographical boundaries.’
Krishnarjun Bhattacharya comes from a background in film, fantasy literature and game criticism. Having published his dystopian fantasy novel, Tantrics of Old, in June 2014, he is a graduate of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, in Film and Video Communication, and has done his post graduation from the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, in Video Editing. For this residency, he has worked on a psychological horror first person exploratory game as he likes working with stories, legends, and myths. He’s working towards a structure-less structure that allows free flow and narrative, building around long lost tales and fascinating characters. Vinit Nikumbh is an architect and is working on an App that gamifies urban planning. He also has a keen interest in cinema and urban development.
When he was selected as a research fellow to work on issues of urbanism in Mumbai, he conducted a study on the issues of pedestrian access to important nodal transportation junctions in the city of Mumbai. The study culminated in a public presentation and a draft of pedestrian accessibility guidelines that could be addressed in the new development plan for the city.
WHERE: Khoj Studios, S-17, Khirkee Extension
WHEN: 4 September till 6 September 6, 2014, 11 am to 7 pm.
The participating artistes are Mohini Dutta, Shradha Jain, Zuleikha Chaudhary, Krishnarjun Bhattacharya and Vinit Nikumbh.
Says Pooja Sood, Director, ‘Khoj would like to incubate and be a stage for the co-inhabitation of multiple kinds of actors in this emergent community of local and independent game makers. This community defies any neat slotting and categorizing into any grouping such as art, science, technology or entertainment. This makes it an opportunity for an intersection with an art space like Khoj that celebrates the liminality of practices and seeks to expand the notions of art practice.’
Zuleikha Chaudhary, a well-known theatre person has explored the theatricality and performative aspect within games and gaming through a dramatic exploration of a basketball. She says, ‘The Bhawal case was an extended Indian court case about a possible impostor who claimed to be the prince of Bhawal, who was presumed dead a decade earlier. My project layers this trial with an audition using the framework of a game to consider being yourself and being someone else and where telling the truth and faking dissolve into each other and become indistinguishable.’
Mohini Dutta is a game developer working out of NYC and she has worked on a game that bases itself within the issues of tribal displacement in the Mahan forests. Her influences are jungle sounds, tribal aesthetics and the current political situation in Mahan. Her work explores play through the lens of cultural immersion, education, and disruptive spectacle.
Shradha Jain comes from a background of film and video communication and is interested in board games. She has worked on a public installation of traditional board games. Her primary interest lies in conserving and celebrating Indian cultural heritage. She has travelled extensively in Northern and Northeastern parts of the country and is currently documenting the indigenous game culture through her travel. ‘My primary interest lies in studying and reviving the rich cultural heritage of traditional board games and play culture. I am committed to documenting and representing various forms of play that form a seamless cultural tradition overcoming geographical boundaries.’
Krishnarjun Bhattacharya comes from a background in film, fantasy literature and game criticism. Having published his dystopian fantasy novel, Tantrics of Old, in June 2014, he is a graduate of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, in Film and Video Communication, and has done his post graduation from the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, in Video Editing. For this residency, he has worked on a psychological horror first person exploratory game as he likes working with stories, legends, and myths. He’s working towards a structure-less structure that allows free flow and narrative, building around long lost tales and fascinating characters. Vinit Nikumbh is an architect and is working on an App that gamifies urban planning. He also has a keen interest in cinema and urban development.
When he was selected as a research fellow to work on issues of urbanism in Mumbai, he conducted a study on the issues of pedestrian access to important nodal transportation junctions in the city of Mumbai. The study culminated in a public presentation and a draft of pedestrian accessibility guidelines that could be addressed in the new development plan for the city.
WHERE: Khoj Studios, S-17, Khirkee Extension
WHEN: 4 September till 6 September 6, 2014, 11 am to 7 pm.
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