Synopsis for The Making of a Gallery Game : A Post Mortem in Progress

The Mechanic is the Message is a non-digital installation that captures and expresses difficult experiences through the medium of a game. Much like photographs, paintings, literature and music are capable of transmitting the full range of the human experience from one human to another, so too can games. Due to their interactivity, the installation suggests that games are capable of a higher form of communication, one which actively engages the participant and makes them a part of the experience rather than a passive observer.

The Mechanics is the Message is composed of six separate non-digital games that experiment with and innovate upon the traditional notion of the word “game”.

They are:

• Train - complete
• Where my people come from (Ni ceart go cur le cheile) - complete
• Mexican Kitchen Workers - prototype
• Cité Soliel - prototype
• One Falls for Each of Us – in design
• Patterns – in design

In this post-mortem in progress, Brenda Brathwaite discusses the series, its inspiration, challenges, lessons learned and more. Train and Where my people come from (Ni ceart go cur le cheile) will be available for viewing and play.