Game Matters
Join the MIT List Visual Arts Center in partnership with Catalyst Conversations for Game Matters, Jeremy Couillard and Mikael Jakobsson in Conversation.
How do we respond to technology?
Why do games matter?
Play and games are interactive, why do we need to play?
How do we learn by play?
How do games help us see our own social arrangements?
How do we create those important social spaces?
Artist Jeremy Couillard whose projects exist as playable games, web projects, and video installations will be in conversation with research scientist Mikael Jakobsson. Their conversation will explore some of these large questions from both a critical and design point of view. Join us for what promises to be an exciting and timely conversation.
Jeremy Couillard, a self-taught coder and digital artist, drawing on the ideas of the anthropologist David Graeber, says that its imaginative world can help us see the contingency and hallucinatory quality of our own social arrangements.
Mikael Jakobsson conducts research on the border between game design and game culture. He investigates how gaming activities fit into social and cultural practices, and how this knowledge can be integrated into the development process. He is the Research Coordinator for the MIT Game Lab.
This program has been developed in conjunction with the first institutional solo exhibit of Jeremy Couillard, whose work straddles the worlds of contemporary art and independent video games.
A Cambridge Science Festival Event.
Founded in 2012, Catalyst Conversations creates programs that pair artists and scientists for intimate conversations. These conversations have explored topics at the forefront of science and art-making today such as theoretical mathematics, watershed conservation, public art, STEAM education, neuroscience and more. In a region full of innovation and knowledge, Catalyst Conversations offers a unique opportunity for participants of all ages and educational backgrounds to access new knowledge. Ideas are not only presented to the public, they are held open for extended conversation allowing a unique entry to intellectual inquiry.
As MIT’s contemporary art museum, the List Center’s history is deeply connected to the Institute’s long-standing commitment to supporting the arts and humanities on campus. MIT List Visual Arts Center provides artists with a space to freely experiment and push boundaries. Our galleries and programs are always free and open to all.
Image: Jeremy Couillard,Escape from Lavender Island,2023 (still). Video game, color, sound. Courtesy the artist
Help us bring our free programs at the intersection of art and sciences to audiences in Greater Boston and beyond! As a volunteer-led organization, we rely on the generosity of our attendees to continue to produce exciting and illuminating events. Please consider making a donation to support our programming.