Discussion: Digital Games and Cultural Impact

In the framework of the exhibition, EKKM hosts a series of talks, supported by the City of Tallinn, to explore different phenomena related to digital games.

On 1 December at 6pm, a panel discussion will be held on the topic of wider impact of digital gaming on the cultural sphere today. How have digital games influenced and formed our understanding of apocalypse, postapocalypse and their socio-cultural implications? How digital games are used for both, political and personal self-expression and what are the cultural histories and impacts of gaming communities? Can digital games be seen as historical digital artefacts of our time and what are the ways to preserve them?

The discussion will be held in English with:

Marie-Luise Meier (PhD) is a guest lecturer at the University of Tartu whose interdisciplinary research combines media studies with other fields such as literary studies. In her PhD project, she aimed to create a holistic methodology for analysing gender in video games, taking into account the unique features of games. In addition to gender, film and game theory, her research focusses on transmedia, postapocalyptic and speculative fiction, transhumanism and fantasy theory from the 20th and 21st century.

Mikhail Fiadotau (PhD) is a lecturer at the instutute of Digital Technologies in Tallinn University, Estonia. His research interests include game studies, digital anthropology and anthropology of technology, media archaeology, and Japanese studies. Mikhail is particularly interested in independent games and gaming cultures in Japan. Mikhail is also an aspiring game developer.

Oliver Laas (PhD student and lecturer at the Department of Philosophy, Tallinn University.) His research interests include metaphysics, philosophy of information, logic, semiotics, philosophy of technology and game studies. In the field of visual arts, his work focuses predominantly on visual storytelling through infographics and information design.

For the thematic exhibition “Crawl out Through the Fallout”, five artists have created works that explore the experience of playing dystopian digital games in the context of contemporary art exhibitions. Read more about the exhibition: www.ekkm.ee/naitused/fallout

This exhibition is part of Marco Laimre’s doctoral thesis “Dystopian Digital Games and Contemporary Art. How to use Analytical Digital Gaming in Contemporary Art”.

The public programme is supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, the Ministry of Culture, Culture and Sports Department of the City of Tallinn, Alas-Kuul AS.