Graduate student commentates on rigid art world through experimental game design
Michael Luo is a first year graduate student in Design Media Arts. His solo exhibition, “YOU MAY THINK THEY LOVE YOU FOR YOUR GAMES, BUT ALL THEY ACTUALLY WANT ARE SPECTACULARLY WEIRD TOYS FOR THEIR SHINY, BRAND NEW 8K QLED SMART SCREENS.” is on view at the DMA Graduate Gallery from April 12-14.
"In terms of experimentalism, one artist is not playing games.
From Tuesday to Thursday, design media arts graduate student Michael Luo’s solo exhibition will be on display in the Broad Art Center. Entitled “YOU MAY THINK THEY LOVE YOU FOR YOUR GAMES, BUT ALL THEY ACTUALLY WANT ARE SPECTACULARLY WEIRD TOYS FOR THEIR SHINY, BRAND NEW 8K QLED SMART SCREENS.,” the showcase is infused with witty humor, providing apt social commentary on the rigidity of the art world and everyday life, Luo said. In contrast to other popular art shows that aim to find a singular word to encapsulate the complexity of their works, Luo said he wanted to deviate from convention and opt for a lengthier, Bob Dylan-inspired exhibition name that foreshadows his subversive artistic identity.
“With the ongoing commodification of media arts, everything has to look shiny (or) look like an NFT,” he said. “These (media arts projects) are probably going to end up being a toy on their (people’s) screens.”
Luo said his exhibition, consisting of three separate games working together to form a cohesive and personal narrative, deviates from the art world’s expectations of traditional game layout. While most commercial games are designed to be played for hundreds of hours, Luo said he wanted to condense a game into an easily digestible experience that was less than ten minutes in length – operating almost like a few songs in a much larger game album he hopes to develop." — Natalie Brown, April 12, 2022
This post is an excerpt. Read the full article on the Daily Bruin website.
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