Working title: Gaming, group exhibition

The group exhibition Gaming, which explores gaming culture, offers an overview spanning from the history of games to contemporary art. The participating artists are significant figures in the Finnish game and media art field: Harold Hejazi (b. 1989), Marita Liulia (b. 1957), Reija Meriläinen (b. 1987), and Maria Nordbäck (b. 1957). The artist list will be supplemented.

The exhibition draws on the concept of homo ludens—the playing and gaming human. It explores the impact of game culture on contemporary art, as well as the ways in which societal structures are reflected in games and artistic practices. The exhibition also sheds light on the cultural-historical dimensions of well-known games such as chess, board games and card games, examining their backgrounds and temporal contexts.

In addition, the exhibition presents rare gaming-related objects from the Vaasa Museums’ collections, including game tables dating from approximately the 18th and 19th centuries. The curatorial focus is on Finnish artists and on the cultural-historical development of games as it has taken place geographically in Finland.

A complementary programme is being planned to address current phenomena and provide a broader view of gaming culture, featuring key figures in game and media studies. The exhibition is curated by Noora Lehtovuori.

The exhibition has received support from the Finnish Heritage Agency.

Reija Meriläinen. Faint, 2018. Photo: Anders S. Solberg / Galleri CC, 2019

 

Game table, Vaasa Museums. Photo:Vaasa Museums.