Mods for the sake of art
The exhibition that intrigued me the most out of all the one in the front page was Carson Lynn: Dear Eidolon. The main game scene that attracted me was the dark souls character walking over the water as the amazing reflections showed off how great the game looks outside the boundaries of what the normal game allows. The HUD elements are still left there on purpose and the outline of the game scene is another game completely unrelated to dark souls yet it still matches the aesthetics. The silhouette of the character also tells a story of the person who is definitely prepared. Combining all these elements allows the creator to make a perfect picture that gives a divine tone to the scene.
The exhibition by Carson Lynn shows off how one can use any medium in order to create art. The First Dark Souls 3 scene where the character is walking over the water shows off how a game can be utilized for more than just its main function. Just as Alexander Galloway explains “Artist-made video game mods are an unusual thing, for they seem to contradict their very existence” (Galloway 124). The Dark Souls game genre is known for frustrating its player by launching them into extremely difficult situations. Galloway goes completely against the entire meaning of Dark Souls and creates an image of peacefulness and calm. One of the main attributes to notice is how the game still functions completely normal even though the character is not something that is not actually coded into the game or even allowed for that matter. This type of exhibition goes against any meaning or purpose the game had and completely recreates a piece of art by using the assets that are already implemented.
Citations:
Galloway, Alexander R. Gaming: Essays on Algorithmic Culture. University of Minnesota Press, 2010.
Dark Souls 3 play-through :
Exhibition:
