Video Games as Installation Art: Collectives Redefine Play

The article from artpress2 (2013) examines how video games are being recontextualized as installation art through the work of collectives Babycastles and One Life Remains. These groups move games from domestic screens into gallery spaces, emphasizing experimental gameplay and sculptural environments. Babycastles, founded by Kunal Gupta and Syed Salahuddin, created Meowton at the Gaîté Lyrique in Paris, a cardboard city where visitors play cat-themed games. One Life Remains, founded by Brice Roy and André Berlemont, developed Dive, a tactile table game where players reconstruct electronic music, and Générations, a Tetris-like game that slows over 250 years. Both collectives collaborate with institutions like the Théâtre de l'Agora in Évry and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. They reject mainstream blockbusters and the indie game myth, preferring the term "experimental games" to highlight innovative mechanics. The article critiques exhibitions like Game Story and The Art of Video Games for relying on nostalgia, while praising Playtime Video Game Mythologies and Joue le Jeu for integrating contemporary art. The collectives aim to bridge audiences and expand the definition of video games beyond commercial norms.