Museum hosts exhibition blending arcade gaming, te ao Maori
Space Invaders, Pac Man, Asteroids, Donkey Kong — if you were a child in the 1980s or '90s, the warm glow of a spacies machine at the local fish and chip shop or dairy was alluring, almost intoxicating.
Now, that atmosphere is being reimagined through the lens of contemporary design and te ao Māori in a new exhibition at Tūhura Otago Museum, titled "Arca Arcade: Round One".
Exhibition designer Preston McNeil, of Wellington, said it was a bold fusion of industrial design, retro technology and cultural storytelling.
It featured custom-built, wall-mounted machines, adorned with original artwork from some of New Zealand's top contemporary artists, including Gina Kiel, Flox, Otis Frizzell, Joe Sheehan and Otis Chamberlain.
Visitors can play the games housed inside each uniquely designed cabinet, making it as interactive as it is artistic.
Mr McNeil said the exhibition was believed to be a world first in arcade machine design because it integrated carved pounamu and whakairo-inspired design elements.
He had wanted to create something that honoured the history of arcade gaming and the richness of contemporary New Zealand art.
The result was a powerful collision of classic video game culture with te ao Māori — a celebration of play that was deeply rooted in place and identity, he said.
"These machines are a love letter to every kid who dropped their last 20cents into a game they knew they couldn't win, but tried anyway.
"Blending those memories with the depth and craft of Māori design has created something I never imagined I'd be able to build.
"And it's amazing to finally bring it to the South Island."
The exhibition opens at the museum tonight, and it is the first time it has been held in the South Island.
Tūhura Otago Museum exhibitions and design head Craig Scott said the museum partnered with the Centre of Digital Excellence (Code) to present the exhibition, in the hope of showing young people what was possible when design, technology and culture collided.
"This is about inspiring, as much as it is about fun nostalgia."
Mr McNeil will give a free public talk at the museum tonight, sharing insights into the creative process, the challenges of building playable art, and how he collaborated with the artists to bring each machine to life.
The exhibition runs from July 19 to September 21.
john.lewis@odt.co.nz
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