Talk:Fugazi

Old forum comments

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Request for comments on this game. --benhenley (talk) 2009-05-22 11:51:31

Sounds fun. Would you give each team a fairly distinct set of raw materials, so that each fake artwork looked totally different (rather than the real artwork being conspicuous as the only one that didn't use the pipe-cleaners everyone was given), or - like a true forger - arrange it so that the basic materials more or less matched those that the real artist used? --Kevan (talk) 2009-05-22 12:49:12

Good point. I think it would be most fun if all the teams had a different collection of materials. --benhenley (talk) 2009-05-22 12:56:17

Looks fun, although likely to annoy the real artist. --gwyn (talk) 2009-05-22 13:36:53

Sounds pretty fun, but I think, like gwyn, that it would annoy the artist no end. However, I love the idea of poking fun at modern art. --Peads (talk) 2009-05-31 16:01:35

Who's poking fun? It's just questioning the artificial value hierarchies imposed by the lingering pre-deconstructionist paradigm of today's art world. Yes. --benhenley (talk) 2009-05-31 16:08:05

Hmm... I'm a bit dubious about a team of pervasive gamers' ability to actually make something that could *in any way* match up to something produced by a graduate artist. And the value hierarchy you're questioning, well, aren't you replacing that with 'all modern conceptual art is rubbish'? Which is equally limiting in its own way.

Illuminations 'Art Race' (link below) was a game - a very ambitious game - that explored the relationship between contemporary art and value. I think it is a good model for this game. How about a game that asks players to support an artist in making the most amount of money in a day? Shoot London meets Art Race?

http://lastheplace.com/2008/03/23/art-race-seeking-artistsart-racers-for-show-to-win-20000/ --Alex Fleetwood (talk) 2009-05-31 19:38:40

Well, my justification was a bit tongue-in-cheek - but I agree it's very possible that the artifacts produced by the gamers won't measure up to the real artwork.

However, that might make the bidding process all the more interesting. If there is one piece which is obviously "better" than the others, perhaps the players will:

1. buy into the conception that since "modern art is rubbish", the superior item must be one of the fakes, and avoid buying it

2. try to signal, through their comments to other teams or their bidding strategy, that they think one of the other pieces is actually the genuine article. After all, not all conceptual art is rubbish, but there are some artists whose work is overpraised and overvalued (in my opinion) in part because it's known that rich collectors like it. (maybe adding a "rich collector" who bids at random up to an amount just less than each team's total pot would simulate this).

3. If the teams are aware that they get to keep whichever pieces they buy, their pride in their own creations might tempt them to bid them up higher than is wise. Or they may be so determined to get the superior, real piece that they signal openly that they believe it is real in the way they bid.

So I don't think the message of the game has to be "conceptual modern art is rubbish" - or at least, it tests that assumption. --benhenley (talk) 2009-05-31 19:57:40

But the Art Racers concept is very good - perhaps all the teams but one could be composed of artists, ALL the pieces on sale are made within the half hour, and the aim of the game is to buy the 'artwork' that was not made by artists. --benhenley (talk) 2009-05-31 20:02:30

I think your other idea sounds better, Ben. I just don't think an artist would be willing to sell his final year artwork for a game. I wouldn't. The other idea sounds better, having an artist(s) create the artwork on the actual day. Or perhaps you could get an artist mate to do one for you for the game.

Pe-ads --Peads (talk) 2009-06-03 18:11:08

Yeah, having an artist make the piece on the day would also stop teams discounting any piece which had wet paint/glue...

But the artist would have to be happy to watch an auction where her 'piece' might fetch a low price... So you'd need to find someone who's a good sport anyway.

Commissioning a piece is another good option. --benhenley (talk) 2009-06-11 16:37:38