Polymorphism: Queer Encounters of Intimacy in Games
@ VGA Gallery
2418 W Bloomingdale Ave, #102, Chicago IL 60647
Opening Friday, January 18th, from 5PM - 8PM
On view through Sunday, April 28th
Intimacy in games has been traditionally conceived by developers as a means to reward the player, as relationships can often only be developed after completing a given task. Within this largely heteronormative lens, games frame emotional bonding and sexual intercourse as a goal to be achieved, rather than positioning relationship development as a core mechanic of the game itself. While these experiences can expand and develop the language of romantic narrative in games, it may also obscure the medium’s ability to directly engage with the mechanics of attraction and desire.
This exhibition explores the burgeoning field of interactive queer art, which gamifies the mechanics of intimate relationships and reinterprets traditional game concepts as a means to experience affection, desire, and love. While queer desire has been marginalized and pathologized in the mainstream, within LGBTQIA+ culture, a more inclusive acceptance of kink and diverse relationship structures is being articulated. Whether in the context of long-term romance, intimacy with multiple partners, or casual sex, these artworks place the practice of acting on attraction in the hands of the player, furthering our ability to express the personal experiences of an underserved culture and drawing a wider audience into conversations about gameplay and desire.
Work by:
Salem Dockery
Ryan Rose Aceae and Heather Robertson
Anna Anthropy
Ali Krouse
Pierre Corbinais
Eddie Cameron
RiotJayne_
empty fortress
Kara Stone
Robert Yang
Fernando Ramallo
Sean Wejebe
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Tags: Ali Krouse, Anna Anthropy, Chicago, Eddie Cameron, empty fortress, Fernando Ramallo, Heather Robertson, Kara Stone, Pierre Corbinais, Polymorphism: Queer Encounters of Intimacy in Games, RiotJayne_, Robert Yang, Ryan Rose Aceae, Salem Dockery, Sean Wejebe, VGA Gallery, West Town
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