The "games as art" debate has been going on for years, but it now looks like The Smithsonian has weighed in. The Art of Video Games exhibition will be held at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington D.C. in March of 2012.
According to The Smithsonian’s description, the "exhibition will explore the 40-year evolution of video games as an artistic medium, with a focus on striking visual effects, the creative use of new technologies, and the most influential artists and designers."
This 40-year history will be split into five distinct gaming eras:
1. Start: 1970s-1980s
2. 8-Bit: early 1980s-early 1990s
3. Bit Wars!: early 1990s-mid 1990s
4. Transition: mid 1990s-early 2000s
5. Next Generation: early 2000s-present
Perhaps the best part of this exhibit is the fact that you will have a say in what games are included. With just an email address you can head on over to the Art of Video Games voting page and cast your vote for what games you would like to see featured.
Chris Melissinos, founder of Past Pixels and videogame collector, will be curating the exhibit. Melissinos expressed the importance of the gamers’ collective voice in regards to the choices selected.
"I want this exhibition to include the collective voice of the video game world, which is not limited to the developers, designers and artists but also the game players," he said. "It is important to me that when gamers visit the exhibition, they find the experiences that most matter to them."
Voting ends on April 7, while the results will be revealed in May. As for the actual exhibit, it is scheduled to run from March 16 to September 30, 2012.
[Smithsonian American Art Museum]
[Kotaku]
