Artists Hack Nintendo Games in 2003 as Digital Resistance Against Corporate Gaming Industry
In 2003, a group of artists, including Cory Arcangel, Paper Rad, and Alex Galloway's Radical Software Group, challenged the corporate gaming landscape by altering Nintendo games and consoles. They reverted games to their fundamental code, generating what they termed 'profound glitches,' similar to how experimental films resist mainstream cinema. Arcangel's 'Super Mario Clouds' (2002) focused solely on the sky, while 'I Shot Andy Warhol' (2002) allowed players to aim at the artist. Galloway's 'How to Win Super Mario Bros' (2003) presented gameplay footage with a binary score. Their creations were showcased in 'Radical Entertainment' at London’s ICA in July 2003 and 'Blinky' at Foxy Productions in New York in June 2003. White's ArtReview piece in September 2003 described these works as a 'new, lyrical resistance.'
Key facts
- Artists hacked Nintendo games in 2003 as resistance against corporate gaming
- Cory Arcangel created 'Super Mario Clouds' (2002) and 'I Shot Andy Warhol' (2002)
- Alex Galloway's Radical Software Group produced 'How to Win Super Mario Bros' (2003)
- Paper Rad collective used Eighties graphics in hallucinogenic digital works
- 'Radical Entertainment' exhibition at London's ICA in July 2003 curated by Lauren Cornell and Lina Dzuverovic-Russell
- 'Blinky' group show at Foxy Productions in New York in June 2003
- Foxy Productions moved from Williamsburg to Chelsea while screening at Tate Britain
- Ian White's feature originally published in ArtReview September 2003
Entities
Artists
- Cory Arcangel
- Alex Galloway
- Ian White
- Lauren Cornell
- Lina Dzuverovic-Russell
- Seth Price
- Abbey Williams
- Arthur Cloakey
Institutions
- Paper Rad
- Radical Software Group
- ArtReview
- ICA
- Ocularis
- Foxy Productions
- Tate Britain
- A Constructed World
- Beige
- 8-Bit Construction Set
Locations
- New York
- United States
- London
- United Kingdom
- Williamsburg
- Chelsea
- Manhattan