Discourse Engines for Art Mods

Cindy Poremba

doi:10.7557/23.6113

Authors

Cindy Poremba Concordia University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7557/23.6113

Abstract

This paper presents a genealogy of "art mod" (artistic videogame modification) definitions and frameworks. Such frameworks serve, either intentionally or unintentionally, to establish modding within a tradition of analysis and critique: whether participatory design, alternative media, folk art, and/or fine art. By situating the definition and history of art mods within a particular discourse, researchers construct the ground from which to make arguments towards organizing the reception and critique of these works. Such arguments include whether mods in general (and art mods in particular) are inherently political or banal (even boring), whether these works speak back at all to games themselves (and whether they should), whether these works are powerful and disruptive; or compromised (by virtue of their parasitic position), and as a result marginal. A genealogy of art mod frameworks highlights the boundary politics of the critique of art mods, and the problem of presenting transparent interpretive lenses in an interdisciplinary field such as game studies.

Author Biography

Cindy Poremba, Concordia University

Cindy Poremba is a digital media researcher, producer and curator examining documentary and videogames through Concordia University's Doctoral Humanities program. She holds a Master of Applied Science degree in Interactive Arts from Simon Fraser University, as well as a Hon. BA from the University of Waterloo in Rhetoric & Professional Writing. Her work focuses on rhetoric, feminist and documentary theory as it intersects with cultural memory, recombinant poetics, creative constructionism and aesthetics through digital practice-- particularly in the context of games and robotics. Cindy has recently taught digital media as a Lecturer in Simon Fraser University's School of Interactive Arts and Technology (SIAT). She has presented work at the Digital Games Research conference, the New Forms Festival, Living Game Worlds and Entermultimediale; and has published work in Games & Culture, The Meaning and Culture of Grand Theft Auto, Space Time Play, and Games as a Sociocultural Phenomenon. She also served as one of the curators for Vancouver's 2003 New Forms Festival, was on the Organizing Committee for the 2005 Digital Games Research Association conference, and is on the Board of Directors of the performance art collective TEAS (The Escape Artists Society). Cindy has produced and curated non-traditional exhibitions such as the CGSA Artcade, PoV Alternative Games Exhibition and eyeTEASers: Art Podified; and most recently, gamma 256, as a member of the Kokoromi game art collective. Her research and personal weblog is http://www.shinyspinning.com/