What's On

Scotland's first design museum will celebrate the design and culture of contemporary videogames with the exhibition Videogames: Design/Play/Disrupt, a spectacular show running from 20 April to 8 September 2019. This is the first exhibition to fully consider the complexity of contemporary videogames, positioning them as one of the most important design fields of our time. Today there are an estimated 2.2 billion people who play videogames worldwide, from commuters playing on mobile phones to eSports professionals watched by millions of spectators.

This ground-breaking exhibition focuses on videogames designed and developed since the mid-2000s when major technological advancements transformed the way games are designed, discussed and played. From multi-million-dollar blockbuster titles to smaller independent games and the work of DIY artists from a hacker/maker culture, the exhibition explores current international debates as well as the creative contributions made to game culture by the players themselves.

At V&A Dundee the exhibition will include a major new commission from Glasgow-based illustrator Ursula Kam-Ling Cheng, who is creating a colourful and chaotic mural inspired by virtual worlds. Videogames designed by Abertay University lecturer Niall Moody (Hummingbird) and Abertay graduate Llaura McGee (If Found by DREAMFEEL) will also be showcased, housed in bespoke arcade cabinets designed by Edinburgh studio We Throw Switches.

In delving deeper into the complex design process of this fascinating medium, the exhibition encourages all visitors both expert and novice players alike ' to be playful, and this theme will be explored much further in the exhibition's wide-ranging programme. Including a conference, a Tay Late, talks, workshops, digital demos and a games jam, there will be something for everyone.

Videogames: Design/Play/Disrupt was curated by Marie Foulston, V&A Curator of Videogames and Kristian Volsing, V&A Research Curator, and shown at V&A South Kensington from 8 September 2018 to 24 February 2019.

Image Credit:
Pippin Barr, 2015.
A Series of Gunshots
A Series of Gunshots confronts you with pared-back images of buildings or residential settings. Pressing any key produces a gunshot sound and flash of light from a window. The pause before the game fades out and back in to the next scene invites a moment of reflection.

Information published by Leisure and Culture Dundee.