 Living in the digital age, and art is no exception.
Remember as a kid when you swore up and down the eyes on a painting would follow you across the room, leering at you until you were forced to look away—because you knew an inanimate object will always own a staring contest. Well, RESET/PLAY is just like that. The only difference is, the art’s supposed to move. And talk. And bubble. Yes, bubble. The latest exhibition at Arthouse at the Jones Center, RESET/PLAY (through November 2nd) features an assembly of international talent invoking their art in the name of the video game gods.
Arthouse has tapped New York-based Marcin Ramocki and Dallas’ Paul Slocum to be guest curators for the special exhibit, showcasing a next stage in the evolution of art. Slocum and Ramocki, both new media artists themselves, are carving away in this relatively new field by showcasing what can be best described as a who’s who among video game inspired art. Slocum, a computer programmer and founder of Dallas’ And/Or Gallery, explains new media as “conceptual work that involves computers, and is about how technology encompasses our lives.”
The exhibition features elements of pop culture, ‘60s and ‘70s conceptual art, an early age of video art, and a healthy dose of DIY. Full of colors and sounds, RESET/PLAY is surely interested in a more hands on approach when it comes to showcasing the art.
 Unlike the Blanton Museum’s “resist the urge to touch” signs posted among the European Art section, RESET/PLAY encourages the viewer to experience the art. Literally. It seeks for one to move from the passive role of the viewer to an engaging role as the participator, and even co-creator. “Return of Balance,” a collaborative effort from Nik Hanselmann, Joe McKay, and Gregory Niemeyer, doesn’t actually “work” until you step on it. Don’t worry; it’s not going to break. Yet.
Its interactive nature further reaffirms the deep level of technology that is integrated into our lives, and how much that technology is relied upon. Even a day in the life without the internet, and computers in general, is like a day without sunshine. That might sound absurd. But consider the last day you didn’t connect to the world wide web. Was it willingly?
These artists put on more than just the hat of artist. They are programmers, engineers, hackers, and of course most importantly, video game lovers. “This kind of art is made up by nerds and geeks that grew up playing computer games,” says Ramocki whose previous artistry has been displayed at the Museum of Modern Art and Society for Arts and Technology, and is currently a professor at Jersey City University.
Describing art with words is intrinsically challenging. When something as complex as RESET/PLAY comes along, it becomes even more difficult. It’s not as easy as, say, Italian Renaissance art, where every other piece is either a depiction of Mary, Jesus, or one of the thousand-plus saints. With this exhibit, it’s important to leave behind previous perceptions of what seemingly is art and what is not art. It is better to take these creative works for what they are by themselves.
 Take, for example, Mike Beradino’s “Liquid Pong,” which lets modern eyes see Pong with the same level of coolness as when the first-generation video game debuted in 1972, in all its black and white splendor. To avoid being a spoiler, just know it doesn’t involve a computer screen, but a whole lot of bubbles. Beradino also created a painting that acts as a functional Atari, providing the most literal connection of art and technology in the entire exhibition.
With “Mike Builds a Shelter,” Michael Smith incorporates his life experiences, his emotions, and the political situations of the past into a completely playable game. Who knew a Commodore 64 could handle so much activity?
Arthouse, originally the Texas Fine Arts Association and now going strong for close to a century, is known for being a little more edgy. Arthouse is more responsive to what is going on outside of art circles, and finding ways to incorporate them into an art world setting. “There are a lot of things going on in the fall related to gaming or to new media and technology, so I wanted to do an exhibition that revolved around gaming in some capacity,” explains Arthouse Curator Elizabeth Dunbar, who also hopes to attract folks from the Austin Game Developers Convention and Fantastic Fest, which are also serving as promotional partners for RESET/PLAY.
Romacki and Slocum both agree that this might not float everyone’s boat, but note that “if you look at minimalism or you look at abstract expression, it was the same [people] that had a hard time getting it.”
Regardless, Ramocki and Slocum are not out to prove anything or simplify RESET/PLAY to one universal idea. “This is art. It works on its own.”
Arthouse will also feature a digital showcase (September 28th) and a performance (October 18th) in conjunction with the Austin Museum of Digital Art. Arthouse is a non-collecting institution. See arthousetexas.org for more details.
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