| |
April 4 - June 9
PARSONS TAKES ON THE SIMS:
MACHINIMA, MODS, AND MORE
Parsons The New School for Design Presents Art and Design Work
Inspired by The Sims
The Sims: In the Hands of Artists, Chelsea Art Museum,
April 19-May 12, 2007
Opening Reception, April 19, 6-8 p.m.
Parsons Also Presents at the Chelsea Art Museum
Ten Years Running: Design and Technology 10th Anniversary Exhibition,
April 5-14, 2007
and
Parsons Communication Design and Technology Thesis Exhibitions
May 17-26 (BFA) and May 31-June 9, 2007 (MFA)
This spring, Parsons The New School for Design will present The
Sims™: In the Hands of Artists, an exhibition exploring the
world of Electronic Arts’ popular video game, The Sims, April
19-May 12, 2007, at the Chelsea Art Museum. Works on view by students
in the Communication Design, Design and Technology, and Illustration
programs at Parsons will range from machinima (using a game engine
to produce animations or films), physical computing, interactive
media, and three dimensional printing to painting, drawing and even
toy design. The exhibition is organized by Parsons Communication
Design and Technology Department with support from Electronic Arts
(EA). An opening reception will be held on April 19, 6-8 p.m. and
is free and open to the public.
“A primary focus at The New School is the way
design impacts society. The innovative social aspects of The Sims
make this game an ideal springboard for our students to creatively
explore these issues,” said Parsons Communication Design and
Technology Chair Colleen Macklin. “Our students will push
the envelope, and come up with sophisticated responses to this creative
challenge.”
Developed by EA game designer Will Wright, The Sims
was the first in a new genre of simulation games that engaged players
in the day-to-day activities of virtual people. While Sims have
a certain amount of free will, players are responsible for the lives
of the characters in this virtual world, from social interaction
and job employment, to health and personal development. The game
comes equipped with pre-made characters; however, players are encouraged
to create their own. The game has become the world’s best-selling
computer game, with entire websites devoted to The Sims.
“While we have supported and encouraged our
users to test the creative boundaries of The Sims in the past, our
In the Hands of Artists program is our first effort to take the
game to a new level of exploration, and we couldn’t be happier
partnering with Parsons The New School for Design for its debut,”
said Jack Lew, Global University Relations Manager at Electronic
Arts. “We selected selected Parsons because of its reputation
as creative mavericks, and we look
forward to seeing the resulting artistic responses.”
Parsons Communication Design and Technology faculty
member Sven Travis, who is organizing the exhibition, emphasizes
that “fun” is an underlying theme of the show. “People
play games to be entertained,” says Travis. “This show
will be entertaining in some pretty unique and unpredictable ways.”
The Sims exhibit is one of a series Parsons CDT Department
will be mounting at Chelsea Art Museum April through and June 2007.
Kicking things off April 5-14 will be “10 Years Running”
a 10th anniversary retrospective of work by faculty and alumni of
Parsons Design and Technology program, featuring
Graffiti Research Lab (http://graffitiresearchlab.com),
Large Animal Games (http://www.largeanimal.com),
Zach Lieberman ‘02 (http://www.thesystemis.com),
and many more. In addition, thesis exhibitions for Parsons Communication
Design and Technology programs will be presented at the museum May
17-26 (BFA) and May 31-June 9 (MFA).
|
