Art Game Symposium and Exhibition 2024

Organized in collaboration with Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier, the symposium focused on the art game, a form of video game expression that prioritizes artistic, narrative, or conceptual exploration beyond the conventions of traditional entertainment. Games associated with the art game movement often seek to provoke reflection on social, political, or philosophical themes through interactive mechanics and unconventional aesthetics.

The symposium featured 20 presentations delivered by researchers from nine universities (NAD-UQAC, UPVM, Carnegie Mellon University, Concordia University, Université de Lorraine, Université de Montréal, UQAM, UQAT, and McGill University), including renowned scholars and creators such as Paolo Pedercini, Pippin Barr, and Jonathan Lessard.

The academic event took place on June 11 and 12, 2024, in an original format: simultaneously at École NAD-UQAC, Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier, and online.

ART GAME EXHIBITION 2024
Presented at École NAD-UQAC alongside the Art Game Symposium on June 11 and 12, 2024, the Art Game Exhibition brought together playable game demos as well as digital artworks. Around ten artists participated in the exhibition, including Pippin Barr, a recognized figure in the independent game scene, and Italian game designer Paolo Pedercini, known for his provocative and socially engaged games, invited to Montréal by CREAT.

The first prototype of the feminist game “CLTRS”, addressing female anatomy and designed by Professor Chiapello, was also presented. In addition, on June 12, the collective Sabotage delivered a vibrant conference-performance in which the co-creation of a game before a live audience intersected with the notion of loss of control.

The exhibition gave the public the opportunity to play selected games presented as part of the symposium’s conference program and to highlight the diversity and plurality of the art game field.