1. Anton Hecht
How can Game structures inform Participatory Art practice?

2. Participatory Arts
Claire Bishop: agency - egalitarian authorship - social bond
Social Practice: 2005
Dialogical – (Grant Kester) 2005
Delegated performance, (Claire Bishop) 1990s
Relational (Nicolas Bourriaud) 1998s
Interactive/immersive 1990s
Suzzane Lacy
Between the Door and
the Street 2013
Gillian Wearing I’m Desperate
1992

3. Position Statement
Games and participatory art have a common need for human interaction in order to
become fully realised. My research to date has revealed game structures in existing
participatory artworks? How can synthesising this games studies research in the form
of case studies and taxonomies inform the creation of new participatory artworks.
What kind of art does participants responding to game structures reveal? How do such
gameful artworks balance participatory experience with aesthetic creation?
Can Huzinga’s Magic Circle be a useful interface for examining art game activities and their
relationship to location. How do circle properties effect participants who play the work and
those around this occurrence.
Game
Structures
Participatory
Arts
Arts
Magic Circle
The
Magic Circle
Game
Mechanics
Art Game
Mechanics
Incorporated
Actions

4. Method: Gameplay –
Methodology:
Modes of Analysis: Reading, Formulating, Applying, Exploring, Making.
literature review of games studies, feeding the creation of taxonomies and Artist Focuses
investigating the synthesis of games and participatory art.
The creation of Game Artworks illuminating the effectiveness, or not, of game mechanics
and elements, in participatory artworks
Examining the way people encounter such works.
Assessments of other live artworks by relevenat artists, to observe participants relation to
the works.
The playing of and development of Games for the purpose of
art creation.

5. Taxonomy of game structures 1). Agôn, competition;
2). Alea, chance; 3). Mimicry 4). Ilinx, physical disorientation
Paidia ------------------------------LudusCaillois (1950s)
Sutton Smith (1990s) Ambiguity/Rhetorics of play - Dark play.
Huzinga (1930s) The Magic Circle – space apart
What is a game, what makes play?
Competition - Jules Meaningful – Salan and Zimmerman Rules Suits/ Bogost – (Proceduralism)
Uncertainty – Costikyan Goals – Suits Fun – Koster Role Play - Stenros
Suit’s (1970s) Lusory Attitude
DeKoven (1970s) The Well Played Game - The New games Movement

6. Mary Flanagan Critical Play
Gustavo Artigus Rules of the Game 2001
Yoko Ono white chess 1966Fluxus 1960-70s
Situationist 1950s

7. The Magic Circle
(S)pace apart
(O)wn Rules
(Cl)osed
(L)abours
(P)rotected
(V)oluntary
(T)ime
(U)ncertainty
(A)rts Magic Circle
Additional elements emerging
from research into it’s application
in participatory artworks
(Vi)Sibility
(Tr)ansformative
(G)Ravitational
(Dir)ected
(Un)expected
Review of traditional
Elements
(L)abours is redundant in
relation to artworks
(Cl)osed Is stronger
(P)rotected enables the
participant’s behavior towards the
artwork
Huzinga: Originates the
term
Caillios: Reinforces the
concepts
Salen and Zimmerman:
Make it relevant for todays
game world.
David Cross Level Playing Field (2013)
Location of activity
How, and where the game
occurs and how those in
and around respondOriginal Game
Elements

8. (O)wn Rules
(P)rotected
((V)oluntary
(L)abours
(G)ravitational
(Un)expected
Example of Artists’
use of the Magic
Circle:
Lottie Child
Street Training Manual
(2009)

9. Example of Artists’
use of the Magic
Circle:
Gustavo Artigas
Viva Le Resistance, (2004)
(S)pace apart
(O)wn Rules
(Cl)osed boundary
(V)oluntary
(T)ime
(Dir)ected

10. rwin Wurm One minute sculptures (1997) Roman Ondák Measuring the Universe (2007)
ART-Game mechanics for
participatory artworks
Meaningful Breakthroughs
Aesthetic Emergence
Creation: Inner elements that
Connects and transfers to to the
participants the requirements for
realisation
Lusory Calibration
Imaginative Affordance
Collusion

11. Game Mechanics and their use by artists:
Artists/work Imaginary
Affordance
Meaningful
Breakthrough
Destabilisation Collusion Lusory
Callibration
Emergence
Sarah Smith:
Chain reaction
X X X X
Erwin Wurm:
One Minute Sculptures
X x X X
Guerilla Dance
project: Rolling
Stones.
x x x
Franz Erhard
Walthers: Pockets
X X X
Ann Hamilton: The
event of a thread.
X X
Duchamp and
John Cage:
Reunion
x x X X
Alexander
Berchet: Maze
X X X X
Adapted Game
Mechanics in
artworks

12. Bart Simon Wii are out of control
Incorporated Actions
Player/Participant
Gordon Calleja Incorporation
(online worlds)
Chaim Gingold The Magic Crayon
(Mimetic Interfaces)
Margaret Flannery
Giant Joystick
2006

13. ENGAGED
ENCOUNTER
SPECTATOR
AVOID
IGNORE A Visualisation of the
Magic Circle effect
In Participatory Art
Games/Works
(Work in Progress)
crossover
semi-involved
DOCUMENTORS
Unknowingly
involved
Incorporated
Incorporated
Spectator
Research Sources:
Deterding (2017) Alibis of Adult Play
Harry Weeks (2014) Ethic in Public
Susie Scott etal (2013) Goffman in the Gallery
Christopher Moore (2011) The magic circle and the mobility of play
Alison Harvey (2007) The Liminal magic circle

14. Investigated historical evolution of the elements .
Well in France - Bull and Matador in Spain - Spock and Lizard in popular culture.
David Lovelace adds elements up to 100.
Aware of the problem of unplayability, and the work becoming a metaphor. Keep
to three, but make rounds.
Even if I create new elements, how to sign them in a satisfactory manner.
Recalibrate the Lusory contract of Paper Scissors Stone

17. Mech Hands
Role Play
Augmented
Toys

18. ATOM
DECK-CHAIR ATOM

19. MOUSE – ELEPHANT - SNAKE
Mouse scares elephant - snake eats mouse - ,
Elephant squashes Snake.
OIL– WATER - FIRE Oil floats on water -
Fire burns Oil - Water Extinguishes fire
COMET - BIRD – DINOSAUR Comet
extincts dinosaurs - birds evolve after comet -
Dinosaur chomps bird
BEAR – TRAPPER – NINJA Hunter
captures bear; Bear squashes ninja; Ninja stuns
hunter
SCIENTIST- ATOM – DECKCHAIR
Scientist splits atom - Atoms make deck chair-
Deck chair Flummoxes scientist
Sign Language Duel
bearbear
snakesnake
elephantelephant
mousemouse
cometcomet
oiloil
waterwater
firefire
dinosaurdinosaur
birdbird
atomatom
scientistscientist
1
2
ninjaninja
1 2
trappertrapper
chair
deckdeck
1
2
chair
RULES TRANSFERENCE

20. Imaginative Affordance
Collusion
Meaningful
Breakthroughs
Lusory Recalibration

23. Ethics
Issues of Compliance inherent in people contributing to artwork through game play
The balancing and acknowledging of input from participants.
The ethical implications of public play with people around being bought in, who at
times unknowingly or unaware they are involved in the work.
Balancing participants need to know that the art game-works are research with a
need to acquire clear and unbiased feedback and maintain fun and challenge.