Other Futures

Dystopias seem to dominate representations of future in videogames. Whether post-apocalyptic or cyberpunk, they provide a perfect backdrop for individualistic fantasies of destruction and survival. As the real world catches up with the most pessimistic predictions, we want to highlight games that prefigure better futures. Join us for a night of eco utopias, afro-futurist visions, cyberqueer adventures, joyful insurrections, and fully automated communisms.

Works: NeuroSpeculative AfroFeminism by Hyphen-Labs /// Like Roots in the Soil by Space Backyard /// POST/CAPITALISM by Colestia /// STICKY ZEITGEIST: EPISODE 2 by Porpentine & Rook /// Lichenia by Molleindustria /// Tonight We Riot by Pixel Pushers Union 512

Friday June 7th, 2019
7-11PM
During the Unblurred gallery crawl

205 North Evaline St
Pittsburgh, PA

Eye Attack

An exhibition of games playing with your perception. Optical illusions, forced perspectives, infinity mirrors, recursive screens, and assorted eye candy.
This is your brain on games.

Works: Mirror Drop by Ian Lilley /// Vignettes by Skeleton Business /// Entire Screen in One Game by Tom7 /// The Catacombs of Solaris by Ian MacLarty /// SUPERHYPERCUBE by Kokoromi /// Museum of Simulation Technology (now Superliminal) by Pillow Castle

Friday May 3rd, 2019
7-11PM
During the Unblurred gallery crawl

205 North Evaline St
Pittsburgh, PA

Playing Iran

The Middle East in videogames is always portrayed as the set of imperialist wars or orientalist fantasies. Two years since the beginning of Trump’s Muslim ban, in a time when game communities are recruiting grounds for white supremacists and mass murderers, we want to offer a counternarrative. This exhibition includes six games and interactive works presenting a nuanced view on the politics, history, and mythology of Iran.

Works: Farsh + Engare by Mahdi Bahrami /// 1979 Revolution: Black Friday + Blindfold by iNK Stories /// She Who Sees the Unknown by Morehshin Allahyari and DiMoDA /// The Cat and the Coup by Kurosh ValaNejad and Peter Brinson

Friday April 5th, 2019
7-11PM
During the Unblurred gallery crawl

205 North Evaline St
Pittsburgh, PA

Glitch Everything

An exhibition of games and playthings exploring the aesthetics of computer errors and data corruption. In an increasingly digitized world happy accidents can contami̵n̵a̴t̷e anything: gli̵t̸ch music, glic̷h̸ ̶p̴a̸i̷n̶t̸ing, ̷g̵l̷i̷t̶c̸h̷ ̸k̸̛̰n̴͔̂i̶̭̿t̸̟͝t̵͍̐ḯ̶̳n̶̥̆g̷͉͂,̷̺̌ ̸̖͑g̴͔̒l̶̟̊í̸͜t̶̘̑c̸̨̀h̶̗̑ ̶̖̀ả̵̪̹̀̂͝r̵̳̹͓̟̓͊̄̕̕c̷̟̈́̐̕h̸͔̲͍͚͔͐͆͛̎̇i̴̲̊t̴̺̋͋͗e̷̺̒̐̓̉̆c̸̻͊̿̉͘ͅṫ̸̯̙̜̖̲ṵ̸̂̍̚r̸̡͈̪̫̐̓e̴͕̣̼͍̱̓́̍͒̕.D̵̼̬͎̞̍̒͝ò̸͔̫̬͔̜n̵̢̨̳͗̍̎’̴̲̒̔̏̚͝t̶̠̤̅̒̀́̚ ̵̠̆͆͌͠͠m̷̮͖̙̰̂͊̄̈́͠ị̶̻̱̱̪͂̅̅̇s̵̯̟̎͒̕̚ș̴̚ ̷̢̧̋ṱ̴̙̆h̶͔̃ẻ̵̞̪͒ ̵̹͉̜͍̯̔͂̈́̈̚l̸̛̰͎̮͚̝ȃ̷̜͒͋̚s̸̞̯͔̤͋͌̒̍͜t̵̢̛͐̒̿ ̵͎̝̜̠̺̄̇L̶̨̩͈̺̝̀̍Î̴͙́K̵̛̙̈̏Ė̸̟̭̃̽̈́ͅL̷̟̝͖͑͜Ḯ̷̦̳͆̔̃̚K̵͉̞͇̓͛͛͜͝E̶̺̮̤̊͜ṡ̷͙͉͍͓̟̳͓̥̱̿̈́̈́̑́̔͊͌̈́̆̏̆͋̃̿̃̈̓̒̆̇̏̈́̽́́̚ḩ̶̛̲͚͚͉̬̲̼̫̩̥̻̫͔̇̋̈̓̉͗͋̽́̈́͗͆̀̏͒̏͛̐̆͐͗̏̔̈́̏͆͠ơ̸̡͙͍͕̜̯̼̬̠͉̙̥͓͙̦̮͕̬͎̗̘͙͉̰̤̣̹̱̞̘̞̱͔̊͑͐̒̋̂̓͐̔̿̑́́̾͒͑̀̎̕̕͘̕͘͠ͅw̵̡̨̡̨̛̛̗͍͍̞̞̣̗͍̯̲͙̙͖͎͇̤̦͇̫͙̗̯͙̬̬̬̞̮̉̍̿̽͂̌̈́̎̓̆̌̈́̌͊̄̎̀̉̀̓̅̂̔͑͐͊́̀̽̀͋͂͝͠ͅͅ ̷̧̛̜̬̤̥͈̠͕̻͎̠̹̙̳̣̆̎̐̇̈́͑͗̍́͊͊͊͒̇̈̒̈́́͐̄̂̀́̚͘͠͠o̶̧̹͕̹̘͕͉̝̻̻̐f̵̢̨̡̢̛̟̠̙͚̬̟̹̭͍̺͙̳͚̟͚͖̖̥̲̼͓̠̺͕̻͈̜̜̳̗͈̀̉͆́̐̈́̾͑́͐̒̅̍̓̑̈͛̋̏͋̔̀̈́̐͊̕̚̕̕̕͝͝͝ ̴̡̢̧̡̛̛͚͓̠̤̠̣̹̝̘̺̻͈͈̠̦͚͍̥̲̜̙͉̪̻̭̬͖̦̀̉́̿̈̎̔̎̔͊̈͛̇̄́͊̎̑̊̃̄͐͂̔͘͘2̶̡͆͊͋͒ͅ0̸̧̧͍͈̦̰̝̤̺͚̭̣͎̹̘̞̳̯̰̞͈̞̰͎̘̞̙̿̾̋̋͑̀̅̓͝͝͝͝1̷̡̨̡̛̹͍̻̜͖̜̠͙̖̩͍͙̜̣͚̩̳͉̮͚̤̣̖͉̤͖͙̠̉͑͐̇̓̽͑̽̔̓͋͌̂̀̓̽̔̒̿̓͌́̂̔̓͌̄̀͘ͅ8̴̛̛̛̛̠͛̅̅͋͒̇̂̀͋̍́̈́̎̈́̂̋͛̍̐͊́͜

̴̪̪̣̯͇͚̪͓̥̤̦̲͚̩̯̮͔̱͙̼̭̳̠͙̖̼̟̭͔͍̰̫͉͂̒̈̃̂̑̍̈́̔̌͒̒̇̋͐̔͗̇͛͘͝͠ͅ

Works: Become a Great Artist in Just 10 Seconds by Andi McClure and Michael Brough /// Glitch Tank by Michael Brough /// Memory of a Broken Dimension by XRA /// ROM CHECK FAIL by Farbs // Track + Feel II by Rachel Simone Weil /// Glitch Scarf by Molleindustria + Infiknit Loop

Friday November 2nd, 2018
7-11PM
During the Unblurred gallery crawl

205 North Evaline St
Pittsburgh, PA

New Retro

Leave your nostalgia at the door: the artists and gamemakers in this show mischievously appropriate, revive, and subvert decades of electronic entertainment for their own millennial goals. Get swept up by a whirlwind of forgotten games! Shoot a porno with Sonic! Explore a dreamscape of pixelated sprites! Struggle with a flaccid Mario! Warning: New Retro may corrupt your memory.

Works: Black Room by Cassie McQuater /// Multi bowl by Bennett Foddy + AP Thomson /// Jelly Mario by Stefan Hedman /// Justice Duel by Mega Cat Studios /// Sonic Dreams Collection  by Arcane Kids /// Pixel Ripped 1989 by Arvore

Friday October 5th, 2018
7-11PM
During the Unblurred gallery crawl

205 North Evaline St
Pittsburgh, PA

BAD FLIRT

An X-rated exhibition of games about the horrors and the awkwardness of courtship. Craft the perfect dick pic, hookup with everyone and everything, speed date with emotional wrestlers, make the first move at a party over and over, be the target of pick-up artists and learn their techniques!
The games in Bad Flirt are safe spaces to exorcise our worst dating nightmares.

Works: Fuck Everything by Lena NW /// Cobra Club by Robert Yang /// Wrestling with Emotions by Team Lazerbeam /// The Game: The Game by Angela Washko /// Slave of God by Increpare /// Ultimate Flirt Off by Diego Garcia

Friday September 7th, 2018
7-11PM
During the Unblurred gallery crawl

205 North Evaline St
Pittsburgh, PA

Cars and Crimes

On July 19th a stolen car rolled down the hill driverless and crashed into likelike’s front door. We acknowledge this irruption of real life into the art world with a special exhibition of delinquent driving games that are not Grand Theft Auto.
What it is like to make love to a gay car? To be a one-armed bear at the wheel? To steal a car from your boss and drive it through an infinite shopping mall? To escape your past during Italy’s tumultuous seventies? To drive blindfolded against traffic?

Works: Elegy by Joseph Delappe /// Lost Wage Rampage by Jane Friedhoff /// Blind Drive by Lo-fi People /// Enviro-Bear 2000 by Justin Smith /// Wheels of Aurelia by Santa Ragione /// Stick Shift by Robert Yang

Friday August 3rd, 2018
7-11PM
During the Unblurred gallery crawl

205 North Evaline St
Pittsburgh, PA
Enter from the backyard door!

The Infinite Worlds of Loren Schmidt

Loren Schmidt is a Pittsburgh-based digital artist and game maker. Their work incorporates complex generative systems into open-ended gameplays. This exhibition is a selection of Loren’s recent releases ranging from enigmatic platformers to mesmerizing cellular automata, from collaborative storytelling environments to biomorphic arcade shooters.

Works: Strawberry Cubes /// Beads of Orange Glass /// Luminous Corridor 0 /// The Worm Game /// Skeleton Flower /// Cellular Automata experiments

Friday July 6th, 2018
7-11PM
During the Unblurred gallery crawl

205 North Evaline St
Pittsburgh, PA

 

Fanciful Bodies

Enter a world of sensual, infinitely malleable avatars. Healing bodies, metamorphosing bodies, impossible bodies. The games included in this exhibition play with magical anatomies and queer desires, acting as antidotes to the disembodiment of the digital realm.

Works: Luxuria Superbia by Tale of Tales /// The Whole World [Tiny Travelogue] by Nick Crockett /// Bellular Hexatosis by Neotenomie and Porpentine /// Feed the Head by Vectorpark /// Plug and Play by Mario von Rickenbach and Michael Frei /// Swordfight by Kurt Bieg and Ramsey Nasser /// The Ills of Woman  by LIKELIKE

Friday June 1st, 2018
7-11PM
During the Unblurred gallery crawl

205 North Evaline St
Pittsburgh, PA

International Playbor Day

Is play the antithesis of work? The games included in this exhibition confront the theme of labor from a variety of perspectives. Solve the gender pay gap with crimes, mine gold on a magical asteroid, revel in white collar alienation, discover new types of emotional labor, shatter glass ceilings and gender bias, fantasize about a post-work society.
Free entry and free play, you have nothing to lose but your chains!

Works: Goldstation  by Eddo Stern ///  Perfect Woman by Peter Lu & Lea Schönfelder ///  Two Interviewees by Mauro Vanetti /// Job Simulator by Owlchemy Labs /// I Get This Call Every Day by David S Gallant /// It is as if You Were Doing Work by Pippin Barr /// Lost Wage Rampage by Jane Friedhoff

May 4th, 2018
7-11PM
During the Unblurred gallery crawl

205 North Evaline St
Pittsburgh, PA

CITIZEN CANINE

Citizen Canine is an exhibition of videogames that look at our society from the eyes of our best friends. Solve a reactionary squirrel conspiracy, create mayhem in a Russian subway station, selectively breed the purest purebred, build a city of fleas and ticks, lead an operatic animal strike…
This is not just memes and cuteness, it’s radical pawlitics!

*Bring your own dog to the show! We’ll have treats, pee cleaning supplies, and a fenced outdoor area.

Works: Doggins by Brain & Brain /// Bad Corgi by Ian Cheng /// Russian Subway Dogs by Spooky Squid /// Oikospiel Book I by David Kanaga /// Dogness by Molleindustria /// Woof3D by SK Louie /// Flea City by LIKELIKE

April 6th, 2018
6-10PM
During the Unblurred gallery crawl

205 North Evaline St
Pittsburgh, PA

SHOOT NOT SHOOT

SHOOT NOT SHOOT is an exhibition of games reimagining the First Person Shooter. Guns in heavens, shooting as painting, VR performance and live action roleplay: six projects about aiming at others and be in the crosshair.

Works: The Fallen by Gold Extra /// End of Light by Cassie McQuater & Jono Mi Lo /// FPS by Aram Bartholl /// Joy Exhibition by Strangethink /// &maybetheywontkillyou by Akira Thompson /// The American Dream by Samurai Punk

March 2nd, 2018
6-10PM
During the Unblurred gallery crawl

205 North Evaline St
Pittsburgh, PA

It’s Complicated

Join us for a night of Valentine’s Day prepping. IT’S COMPLICATED is an exhibition of games about beautifully complex relationships. Experience tentacular consent, finger kama sutra, praying mantis dating, breakup tactics, space couple therapy, polyamorous tetris…

Games: Breakup Squad by Catt Small /// Fingle by Game Oven /// Consentacle by Naomi Clark /// Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime by Asteroid Base /// Don’t Make Love by Maggese /// Triad by anna anthropy + Leon Arnott + Liz Ryerson.

February 2nd, 2018
6-10PM
During the Unblurred gallery crawl

205 North Evaline St
Pittsburgh, PA