Metatron's Cube Of Fortune (2018)

Ludacrium (2018)

Is It A Game? Episode 3

Rasmus Hungnes, Gabriel Kvendseth, Eirik Storesund, Erin Sexton, Connor Sherlock

Fri. 29.06.2018, 7 - 10pm

Venue: Kreuzberg Pavillon, Naunynstr. 53, 10999 Berlin

Over the last few centuries, the definition of the English word "ludicrous", originally meaning "pertaining to play or sport", has shifted to the derogative sense of "foolish, rediculous" - as if games, gaming, play and playing were the antithesis to any undertaking serious or worthwile. In contrast, games have developed into the most popular form of culture of the 21st century, a position occupied by the cinematographic feature during the 20th century.

In 1987, the science fiction comedy film Spaceballs introduced a velocity beyond the superluminous: "Ludicrous Speed", so fast that it breaks your brain, curves your spine, divides by zero, and is in every way inconceivable. Paradoxically, the common, disapproving usage of "ludicrous" has been reappropriated by gaming communities. The term has been used in many online games as a superlative, congratulating players for high achievements, for example in World of Warcraft (Ludicrous Speed) and Unreal Tournament (Ludicrous Kill). It functions as term for irrational progress and skillsets attained through playing.

While the fate of the Age of Ludacrium remains uncertain, the future of automatization will allow labourers to migrate into digital worlds, populate servers, and use games as gateway experiences. Games can be utilized to transport our idea of labour into virtual spaces of play where archaic tasks such as trap building, fishing, farming or woodchopping become virtual analogues to survival-strategic and speculative labour.

In the new permanent game environment of Kreuzberg Pavillon, Ludicrarium is an assembly of buggy, whimsical, archaic utensils, fractions of fortune gambling, and rituals of paranormal play.

Curated by Rasmus Hungnes, Heiko Pfreundt & Lisa Schorm

Ludacrium (2018)