The Art of Video Games

This exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum explores the forty-four year evolution of video games as an artistic medium. Finally! It's about time the awesomeness that is video game art got some mainstream recognition.

The curator, Chris Melissinos, has pulled together an exhibition that features "some of the most influential artists and designers during five eras of game technology, from early developers such as David Crane and Warren Robinett to contemporary designers like Kellee Santiago and David Jaffe."

Five games will be available for visitors to play for a few minutes, to gain some feel for the interactivity—Pac-Man, Super Mario Brothers, The Secret of Monkey Island, Myst, and World of Warcraft. In addition, the galleries will include video interviews with developers and artists, large prints of in-game screen shots, and historic game consoles. Visitors will be able to connect with the content of the show across generations, from those who remember the classics such as Pitfall! to those playing contemporary games like Flower.

If you're in the area, get along to the exhibition and check it out. The art on display will be awesome and there are also video interviews with developers to keep an eye out for. If any Polycounters manage to get along, let us know how it was!

For more information, have a look at the official page of the exhibition.