Critical Gaming
Society in Game Mode
With Matthias Löwenotter, Martin Steinicke (Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin), Sarah Bashir (Universität Halle)
Moderation: Marcus Boxler
Part of “PLAYMODE.EXE”
- Dialogue
German /
60 mins.
Accompanying the performances of Fantasia Malware, an installation and discourse programme on the dynamic fusion of performance, art and gaming culture will take place in cooperation with the DKB Foundation and Contemporary Arts Alliance Berlin. Gaming is more than entertainment – it is a form of artistic expression, a mirror of society and a defining visual culture all at once. The programme shows how artists transform gaming aesthetics and mechanisms into a visual, socially critical language. HAU3 transforms into an experimental playground where visitors not only watch, but also immerse themselves in playable worlds.
The panel “Critical Gaming: Society in Game Mode” brings together experts who examine games from cultural and social science perspectives. The focus is on how games not only reflect social processes, but also actively shape them: as instruments of world simulation, social interaction, political influence and identity formation. How can games provide mechanisms that make power structures tangible, allow alternative futures to be explored, and make complex social dynamics accessible in a playful way? Beyond entertainment, games are analytical, creative, and socially influential tools.
Matthias Löwenotter is a playful interaction designer and is involved in the Creative Gaming initiative and the “PLAY Festival”, which promote the artistic and creative use of games. He leads workshops and research projects and organises gaming culture events such as temporary escape games, XBox Rock Battles and the Global Game Jam with Gamestorm Berlin e.V. He also curates various exhibitions, leads VR walks and co-organises the International Arthouse Games and Playful Media Festival with A MAZE. Since 2014, he has coordinated the German activities of EU Code Week.
Martin Steinicke is a research associate at the University of Applied Sciences for Technology and Economics in Berlin, where he is part of the "Creative Media" research group. He co-founded the “WIR! alliance Mixed Reality for Business” to support small and medium-sized enterprises in their digitalization efforts and in adopting new technologies. Steinicke was also involved in the initialization of the ViCAR network and worked on the DAAD-TNB project at the German International University of Applied Sciences. His research focuses on the application of game concepts and technologies, as well as their synthesis in digital game-based learning. In his course “Game & Interaction Design”, he guides his students on the journey of creating their own (learning) game.
Sarah Bashir is a member of the jury of Deutscher Computerspielpreis (German Game Awards), a games scholar, and the initiator of Circuit Lab, a games studies lab situated at the Department of Media and Communication Studies, University of Halle. After entering the Department's master program in Media Studies, Bashir worked as a research assistant in a goverment funded project that dealt with valuation practices in the music industry, among others. Her research areas include game production studies and media archaeology. She is currently pursuing a research project on the production and distribution of independent video games.
Dates
Past
Price: 5 €
Credits
A cooperation between HAU Hebbel am Ufer, CAA Berlin, and DKB STIFTUNG. Co-curated by Peggy Schoenegge (peer to space).
Location
HAU3
Tempelhofer Ufer 10, 10963 BerlinHAU3 unfortunately is not barrier-free. Access to the theatre is via a stairwell (3rd floor). If you need help, please contact our Ticketing & Service team at +49 (0)30 259004-27 or email us at tickets@hebbel-am-ufer.de.
