Video game art has always been presented in an insular fashion. Small venues or companies, who are already video game-focused, have hosted such galleries. But as games have been more exposed to the public, many mainstream curators have been hosting their own video game art exhibitions. Now even public buildings are hosting game art in their halls.
Across the pond, London will be holding The Games Art Exhibition in City Hall. The event will be held throughout the week starting October 22. As a part of the London Games Festival, the exhibit will feature visuals from several of London’s most well known developers and their games.
This is the first time video games will be featured in the home of the Greater London Authority and is offering the chance for the general public to look at these pieces of art. It’s not often the general public has shown interest in the world of video games, but as the industry expands interest has definitely piqued.
Rocksteady will be showcasing several Batman: Arkham City canvases while Bethesda has provided a London vista piece done by the design team from the recently released Dishonored. Other pieces will appear from Mind Candy, Sports Interactive, Lionhead and a special appearance from Konami in honor of Metal Gear Solid’s 25th anniversary.
Many of the pieces will be available for auction after the showing. All of the proceeds will be given to SpecialEffect, a charity that offers help to anyone with a disability through games, art and technology.
Seeing video game art being appreciated by the general public gives me some hope that it may help the medium become more appreciated as an art form. Seeing the art behind the game will show the immense amount of creative work that goes in to creating today’s games. It’s a promising exhibit and anyone in the London area should check it out. For those of us stuck in other parts of the world will need to visit the London Games Festival site here. Here’s to good art work.
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