BOOK: VRAL S03 IS NOW AVAILABLE

Edited by Matteo Bittanti, Gemma Fantacci, Luca Miranda, Riccardo Retez
Release date: August 2 2023 (S), August 5 2023 (Rest of the world)
Series: GAME VIDEO/ART STUDIES
Features: Softcover, 332 pages, 186 color illustrations
Format: 6×9 inches, 15×23 cm
Language: English
ISBN: 9798854159364
Price: $/€ 22,99

Introduced in April 2020 amidst a global pandemic, VRAL is an online platform offering screenings of machinima created by artists and filmmakers whose work lies at the intersection of video art, cinema, animation, and gaming. The program features outstanding video works selected on the basis of their cultural relevance, artistic achievement, and innovative style. This book collects all Season Three interviews (i.e., exhibitions 44 to 64) Featured artists: Felix Klee, Elisa Sanchez, Jason Rouse, Sebastian Schmieg, Letta Shtohryn, Federica Di Pietrantonio, Iain Douglas and Mark Coverdale, Zuza Banasińka, Gina Hara, Babak Ahteshamipour, Martina Menegon, Christian Wright, Alix Desaubliaux, Steven Cottingham, Kamilia Kard, Jordy Veenstra, Thomas Hawranke, Lasse Scherfigg, Calum Rodger, Jake Couri, Søren Thilo Funder, and Simonetta Fadda.

Both a critical and creative laboratory, GAME VIDEO/ART. STUDIES promotes open dialogue, constructive debate, and sometimes idiosyncratic investigations of ideas, practices, and artefacts that – by their very nature – occupy different layers of today’s visual culture. Using a comparative rather than specialized approach, GAME VIDEO/ART. STUDIES probes the most diverse visual experiences inspired by digital gaming and gives voice to a new generation of researchers as well as established scholars.

NOW AVAILABLE ON/ORA DISPONIBILE SU

AMAZON US, AMAZON ITALIA, AMAZON UK, AMAZON DE, AMAZON FR

LINK: VRAL S03

BOOK: VRAL SEASON TWO IS NOW AVAILABLE

We are delighted to announce the publication of VRAL Season Two by Concrete Press. Edited by Gemma Fantacci, Luca Miranda, Riccardo Retez, Matteo Bittanti, the book is now available worldwide.

Introduced in April 2020 amidst a global pandemic, VRAL is an online platform offering screenings of machinima created by artists and filmmakers whose work lies at the intersection of video art, cinema, animation, and gaming. The program features outstanding video works selected on the basis of their cultural relevance, artistic achievement, and innovative style.

This book collects all Season Two's interviews (i.e., exhibitions 22 to 43), including extra content. Featured artists: Florian Hofnar Krepčik, Cassie McQuater, Gweni Llwyd and Owen Davies, Li Zhu, UBERMORGEN, Kent Sheely, Theo Triantafyllidis, The Cool Couple, Kara Güt, Amir Yatziv,Jamie Jancović, Deborah Findlater, Benoit Paillé, Benjamin Hall, Chloé Desmoneaux, Grayson Earle, Cecilia Hillevi Högström, Kadir Kayserilioğlu, Matthieu Cherubini, Ricardo Miranda Zúñiga, Sebastian Blank, Jonne Hansson, and Sjors Rigters.

VRAL S02 is the fourth volume in the GAME VIDEO/ART. STUDIES series, a critical and creative laboratory encouraging open dialogue, constructive debate, and sometimes idiosyncratic investigations of ideas, practices, and objects that – by their very nature – occupy different layers of today’s visual culture. Applying a comparative rather than specialized approach, GAME VIDEO/ART. STUDIES probes the most diverse visual experiences inspired by digital gaming and gives voice to a new generation of researchers as well as established scholars.

Order your copy here

NEWS: VRAL SEASON ONE NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON US

We’re happy to announce that VRAL S01 is now available in the United States through Amazon, in addition to Blurb.

Introduced in April 2020 amidst a global pandemic, VRAL is a uniquely online platform offering screenings of machinima created by artists and filmmakers whose work lies at the intersection of video art, cinema, animation, and gaming. The program features outstanding video works selected on the basis of their cultural relevance, artistic achievement, and innovative style. Published by Concrete Press, this book collects all Season One’s interviews (i.e., exhibitions 01 to 21), including extra content previously released online. Featured artists: Victor Morales, Aleksandar Radan, Jordy Veenstra, Petra Széman, Thomas Hawranke, Brenton Alexander Smith, Jón Bjarki Magnússon, David Blandy, Brent Watanabe, Edwin Lo, Fantastic Little Splash, Mikhail Maximov, Luca Miranda, Mario Mu, Antoine Chapon, Bob-Bicknell Knight, Isabelle Arvers, Total Refusal, COLL.EO, Carson Lynn, and Mateus Domingos.

Head to this page to purchase your copy

The book’s official page

COMING SOON: VRAL SEASON ONE

We are happy to announce that Concrete Press will soon release a new book in the ongoing series GAME VIDEO/ART STUDIES: VRAL SEASON ONE, a comprehensive look at the state of machinima today.

Introduced in April 2020 amidst a global pandemic, VRAL is a uniquely curated game video experience, offering screenings of machinima created by artists and filmmakers whose practice lies at the intersection of video art, cinema, animation, and gaming. The program features exceptional video works selected on the basis of their cultural relevance, artistic achievement, and innovative style. An online space that provides access to a range of diverse voices, VRAL celebrates a new generation of digital filmmakers and artists and providing a broader understanding of machinima as an artform. Edited by Matteo Bittanti and Gemma Fantacci, this book collects all Season One’s interviews (i.e., exhibitions 01 to 21), including extra content previously published online. Featured artists: Victor Morales, Aleksandar Radan, Jordy Veenstra, Petra Széman, Thomas Hawranke, Brenton Alexander Smith, Jón Bjarki Magnússon, David Blandy, Brent Watanabe, Edwin Lo, Fantastic Little Splash, Mikhail Maximov, Luca Miranda, Mario Mu, Antoine Chapon, Bob-Bicknell Knight, Isabelle Arvers, Total Refusal, COLL.EO, Carson Lynn, Mateus Domingos.

VRAL SEASON ONE will be released in English only. 

GAME VIDEO/ART.STUDIES

Both a critical and creative laboratory, GAME VIDEO/ART. STUDIES promotes open dialogue, constructive debate, and sometimes idiosyncratic investigations of ideas, practices, and artefacts that – by their very nature – occupy different layers of today’s visual culture. Applying a comparative rather than specialized approach, GAME VIDEO/ART. STUDIES probes the most diverse visual experiences inspired by digital gaming and gives voice to a new generation of researchers as well as established scholars. The first published volume in the ongoing series is Riccardo Retez' Machinima Vernacolare.

Read more about Concrete Press

CFP: MACHINIMA, THE STATE OF THE ART

The 2020 edition of the MILAN MACHINIMA FESTIVAL will be followed by the release of a printed bilingual (English and Italian) publication later this year featuring critical contributions on machinima. The book/catalog will be edited by Matteo Bittanti and Gemma Fantacci. Scholars, critics, artists, and curators are invited to submit an extended abstract (between 500-1000 words excluding references) or full papers to matteo.bittanti@iulm.it either in English or Italian.

Timeline:

April 15, 2020 Abstract submission deadline (full papers are also accepted);

May 15, 2020: Notification of acceptance/rejection sent to authors;

July 1, 2020: Full paper submission deadline;

Sept 1, 2020: Review deadline;

Oct 1, 2020: Deadline for edited papers.

Possible topics include:

Vernacular machinima vs. avantgarde machinima

Exhibition & screening of machinima

Art historical perspectives on machinima

Machinima and remix/mash up culture

Recording and sharing of in-game performances

The evolution of in-game video editors

Critical analysis of an artist's oeuvre/work

An in depth interview with a creator/artist

Innovative online distribution platforms

The evolving audiences of machinima

Inquiries may be directed to matteo.bittanti@iulm.it

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L'edizione 2020 del MILANO MACHINIMA FESTIVAL sarà seguita dalla pubblicazione di un libro/catalogo cartaceo bilingue (inglese e italiano) nel corso dell’anno con contributi critici sullo stato del machinima. Il volume sarà curato da Matteo Bittanti e Gemma Fantacci. Non è necessario che i contributi trattino necessariamente i machinima presenti al Festival. Studiosi, critici, artisti e curatori sono invitati a inviare una sinossi di lunghezza compresa tra le 500-1000 parole, esclusa la bibliografia o un articolo completo a matteo.bittanti@iulm.it in inglese o in italiano. La lunghezza dei saggi può variare.

Piano di lavoro

15 aprile 2020: termine ultimo per l'invio delle sinossi/proposte (sono accettati anche gli elaborati completi);

15 maggio 2020: notifica di accettazione/rifiuto inviata agli autori;

1 luglio 2020: termine ultimo per l'invio dell'intero saggio;

1 settembre 2020: Termine per la revisione;

1 ottobre 2020: scadenza per la redazione dei lavori.

Temi possibili includono

Machinima vernacolare vs. machinima d'avanguardia

Esibizione e proiezione di machinima

Prospettive storiche ed estetiche sul machinima

Machinima e cultura del remix/mashup

Registrazione e condivisione delle performance in-game

Evoluzione degli editor video in-game

Analisi critica dell'opera completa o parziale di un artista/collettivo

Piattaforme di distribuzione di machinima

Machinima e pubblico

Domande e proposte possono essere indirizzate a matteo.bittanti@iulm.it

BOOK: TRAVELOGUE

TRAVELOGUE is now available from Concrete Press.

TRAVELOGUE is a survey of audiovisual artworks made with or inspired by video games. Using machinima and interactive installations, fifteen artists examine the virtual automobile as medium, message, technological commodity, status symbol, interface, and prosthetics. Created through a process of appropriation and remix, these works lie at the intersection of fiction and documentation, performance and simulation, video art and experimental cinema.

This book is an extended catalogue of the exhibition TRAVELOGUE that I curated between September 7- 11 2016, in Mantua, Italy as part of Festivaletteratura 2016, featuring artworks by Max Almy and Teri Yarbrow, Hugo Arcier, Dave Ball, William Beaudine, Bob-Bicknell Knight, COLL.EO, Clint Enns, Matthew Hillock, JODI, Kristin Lucas, Victor Morales, Leonardo Sang, Palle Torsson. Available in bilingual edition (English and Italian) TRAVELOGUE is the follow-up to MACHINIMA. 32 conversazioni sull'arte del videogioco, which was released in 2017.

TRAVELOGUE is on sale on Blurb and Amazon US. It will soon be available on Amazon Italy.

TRAVELOGUE è una rassegna di opere audiovisive – machinima ed installazioni – realizzate per mezzo dei videogiochi. Quindici artisti internazionali esplorano l’automobile virtuale, ivi intesa come mezzo e messaggio, tecnologia e status symbol, interfaccia e protesi. Frutto di appropriazione e remix, queste opere si collocano all’intersezione tra narrazione e documentazione, performance e simulazione, videoarte e cinema sperimentale. Questo libro è il catalogo ampliato della mostra TRAVELOGUE curata da Matteo Bittanti nel settembre 2016) a Mantova, nell’ambito di Festivaletteratura 2016, con opere di Max Almy e Teri Yarbrow, Hugo Arcier, Dave Ball, William Beaudine, Bob-Bicknell Knight, COLL.EO, Clint Enns, Matthew Hillock, JODI, Kristin Lucas, Victor Morales, Leonardo Sang, Palle Torsson.