BLUR is a biannual seminar exploring new creative practices that embrace the pleasure, seduction, and energy of new technologies while calling for deeper reflection and critical awareness of our actions in digital art and culture. BLUR is organized by Creative Time. The New School, and Parsons School of Design.
BLUR 02, Power at Play in Digital Art and Culture was structured around the central themes of power and play. The conference was held at the New School, New York, in 2002.
Power at Play | The Game
In the spirit of the conference proceedings, Marina Zurkow and Erik Zimmerman designed Power at Play, an interstitial game embodying the core values and aims of BLUR 02 in a performative way. The goal of the game was to facilitate social interaction. Stimulate new lines of thinking, and inject improvisation into the convening context. While Power at Play is not a bona fide game with winners and losers, it encourages playful behavior through the use of game-like activities and interactions among players.
As a part of the conference packet, each of the daytime participants received a random selection of three game cards, of a possible 30, with instructions for their use.
Game Rules
(This set of rules came in each attendee’s conference packet, along with three cards):
“In your conference badge holder, you will find 3 Power at Play cards. Please carry them with you for the duration of the seminar. Whenever you like, you may play one of your cards. To Play: Give the card to another player. The receiver becomes the victim and must follow the directions on the card. The victim keeps the card you played. The only restriction on playing cards is that if someone plays a card on you, you must use the card on a different person. In other words, you cannot play a card on the person that played the card on you. Each card has a different effect. When you use a card, remember that the person playing the card is the instigator and the person receiving the card is the victim. If you are confused about how to play a card in a particular context, seek the advice of other players.”
