Long before the Smithsonian or the Supreme Court got into the mix, one kick-ass gallery show was letting everybody know about the artfulness of video games. The “iam8Bit” exhibitions have taken icons like Mario, Pac-Man and Sonic and handed them over to artists who’d radically interpret the characters and their worlds.
(MORE: Top Game Designers Say What They’d Put Into the Smithsonian)
The shows have long been staples of the E3 and GDC gatherings, illustrating that the connections and experiences that games deliver are just as durable and open to interpretation as others for pop-cultural production.
After three years off, the newest iam8Bit show looks to take that idea and blow it up even bigger than before. “SUPER iam8Bit” opens in two short weeks in Los Angeles and will feature almost 100 artists from around the world, including Scott Belcastro, Mike Mitchell (famous for the Conan O’Brien “I’m With Coco” posters) and Sky Burchard.
The SUPER exhibition will also feature the world’s largest arcade cabinet in celebration of Galaga’s 30th Anniversary. If you’re not in L.A. on August 11th when the show opens, fret not. There’ll be a limited edition art book that will collect the works on display as well as other paintings and creation featured in past exhibitions.
For more info on the show, head on over to iam8bit.com
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