Events

Exploring the Fusion: Crash Games as Art in a Contemporary Gallery

Picture this: a gallery pulsating with the energy of F777 Fighter, the cosmic allure of Space XY, and the adrenaline rush of Need for X. Can crash games be more than just pixels on a screen? Can they transcend the digital realm and materialize as captivating art installations in a contemporary gallery space? Let’s dive into the exciting realm of possibilities.

Crash games, with their dynamic visuals and interactive nature, possess the potential to become immersive art experiences. Imagine F777 Fighter translated into a kinetic sculpture, where the crashes manifest as explosive bursts of color and sound, echoing the intensity of the digital game.

Space XY, with its cosmic theme, could transform a gallery into an otherworldly environment. Picture visitors navigating through a celestial landscape, interacting with installations that mirror the unpredictability of the crash game, creating an unforgettable sensory experience.

Need for X, known for its high-speed thrills, might find its material form as a multi-dimensional installation. Visitors could step into a space where the speed and crashes are tangible, blurring the lines between virtual and physical realities.

  • Interactive Exhibits: Allow gallery-goers to engage with the crash game experience physically, triggering crashes and exploring the consequences in real-time.
  • Visual Spectacle: Harness the vivid graphics and themes of these games to create visually stunning installations that captivate and challenge perceptions.
  • Soundscapes: Consider incorporating dynamic sound elements that respond to the crashes, enhancing the immersive quality of the installations.

In the fusion of crash games and contemporary art, the possibilities are as boundless as the digital landscapes they draw inspiration from. The challenge lies in translating the essence of these games into tangible, material forms that captivate and resonate with gallery visitors. Could crash games be the next frontier in pushing the boundaries of what we perceive as art? The journey into this uncharted territory is as thrilling as the crash itself.

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  • Tue
    30
    Jul
    2024

    COCKFIGHTER - 50th ANNIVERSARY SCREENING AT FANTASIA

    5:15 pmSalle JA DE Seve - 1400 Boul De Maisonneuve, Montreal, Canada

    July 30, 2024 - 5:15pm
    Salle J.A. De Seve, 400 Maisonneuve Blvd W, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8
    Tickets HERE>>

    Presented by Kier-La Janisse (House of Psychotic Women) who will read the introduction to her forthcoming book Cockfight.

    Frank Mansfield (Warren Oates) has a singular obsession. He is a professional cockfighter, who breeds, conditions and fights pedigreed roosters in service to an ancient underground blood sport. But after shooting his mouth off, he loses his prize cock in a late night drunken hack, immediately before he is poised to win a decisive tournament. As a result, he determines to take a vow of silence until he can win the Cockfighter of the Year Award. He teams up with former Madison Avenue ad man Omar Baradinsky (Richard B. Schull), and they make a partnership for the season, hustling their way through the cockfighting circuit alongside a colorful cast of characters who make their living like Frank does, all building up to the annual Milledgeville Southern Conference Tournament where Frank will get his long-awaited second chance at winning the medal.

    Based on the 1962 book by Charles Willeford, who also wrote the screenplay (and would later be canonized in the world of crime fiction with the publication of Miami Blues in 1984), Cockfighter is infamous for purportedly being the only film Roger Corman ever lost money on — although its infamy may also have something to do with its protest-baiting subject matter. Still, many hold Cockfighter up as Willeford’s masterpiece.

    Monte Hellman was recovering from the unexpected flop of his own masterpiece, Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) when Corman offered him the opportunity to direct. Cockfighter’s silent, competitive protagonist working within the closed value system of a marginal subculture wasn’t so far off from Two-Lane’s unnamed Driver — though admittedly Oates plays the hell outta this character, brilliantly mediating between Hellman’s version of Frank Mansfield and Willeford’s.

    The film features an ace cast of secondary characters including Harry Dean Stanton, Laurie Bird, Robert Earl Jones, Ed Begley, Jr., Steve Railsback, Millie Perkins, Troy Donahue, Tom Spratley, Patricia Pearcy and a whole host of real-life cockfighters whose chipboard coliseums are beautifully rendered by imported cinematographer Nestor Almendros. Cockfighter is a film of multiple mythologies: mythology concerning the noble history of the violent sport at its heart; mythology about the ‘auteur’ and what constitutes authorship of a film; mythology around rising stars who disappeared from view too soon; and mythology about The South — what it means and who it belongs to.

    Monte Hellman passed away in 2021, and Roger Corman — tireless titan of the B-picture and arguably the most important movie producer of the 20th century — passed away only this year as this screening was being planned for the film’s Anniversary: 50 years to the day from its world premiere in Roswell, Georgia on July 30, 1974. (Kier-La Janisse)

    Special Thanks to Julie Corman, Joe Dante and Valerie Torres