Der in Israel geborene Künstler Eddo Stern gehört zu den weltweit bekanntesten Pionieren, die der Schnittstelle von Kunst und Computerspielen nachspüren. Er ist einer der ersten Künstler, die das Computerspiel als Material und Medium in ihre Arbeit einbezogen haben und damit im institutionellen Kontext Erfolg haben. Stern etwa gehört zu den Stipendiaten des renommierten Edith-Ruß-Hauses für Medienkunst in Oldenburg. Stern schreibt über sich selbst auf seiner Website:"Eddo Stern works on the disputed borderlands between fantasy and reality, exploring the uneasy and otherwise unconscious connections between physical existence and electronic simulation. His work explores new modes of narrative and documentary, experimental computer game design, fantasies of technology and history, and cross-cultural representation in computer games, film, and online media."Die Kollegen der Website gamescenes haben in der letzten Woche – in einer Art Web-Retrospektive – jeden Tag ein anderes Kunstwerk von Eddo Stern vorgestellt. Ein ausführliches Interview mit Stern gibt außerdem Einblick in seine Arbeit mit Computerspielen als eigenständiger Kunstform.Ich habe die Links der "Eddo Week" hier in einem Posting zusammengetragen. Sie stammen ursprünglich von Kurator und Kunstkritiker Matteo Bittanti, der sie für den Game Art-Blog gamescenes.org von Eddo Sterns Vimeo-Profil ausgewählt hat. Die Arbeiten changieren zwischen Machinima, eigenständigen Games, Mods und Installationen.Los geht's mit 7 x Eddo Stern.
VIETNAM ROMANCE (Eddo Stern 2003) from Eddo Stern on Vimeo."Vietnam Romance is compiled from the sources available exclusively on the computer desktop environment - games, graphics and music. A remix of the Vietnam war experience with a MIDI soundtrack and computer game clips, Vietnam Romance is a tour of nostalgia for romantics and deathmatch veterans. ...Feel the Nam, Feel the elephant grass, Feel the red clay, Feel the cong, Feel the rain, Feel the Nam" (Eddo Stern)
CRUSADE (Eddo Stern 2002) from Eddo Stern on Vimeo."Crusade - a mechanical windmill desktop spins on its axis looping a posse of medieval avengers and a MIDI sample of Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir".GodsEye is borrowed from the computer gaming term God's eye perspective which positions the player as a God/General/Wizard floating above the world - awarded total control over cities, armies and minions. GodsEyecosists of several computer sculptures that make up a techno-/neo-medieval landscape built around the functional hardware elements of a computer desktop environment: keyboard, mouse, monitor, tower, etc. Formally, it draws from the subcultures of custom computer case modifications, hardware hacking, computer game modification and sampling." (Eddo Stern)
SHEIK ATTACK (Eddo Stern 1999/2000) from Eddo Stern on Vimeo."Sheik Attack is a contemporary non/fiction horror film woven from pop nostalgia, computer war games, the sweat of virtual commandos, the blood of Sheiks and a mis-remembrance of a long lost Zionist Utopia. Sheik attack attempts to examine and bring forth the embroilment of ideology, fantasy, nostalgia, and mediated identification" (Eddo Stern)
TEKKEN TORTURE TOURNAMENT (Eddo Stern/C-LEVEL 2001) from Eddo Stern on Vimeo."During the Tekken Torture Tournament performance, 32 willing participants received bracing but non-lethal electrical shocks in correspondence to the injuries sustained by their onscreen avatars. Players wore shocking arm straps wired through a hardware/software hack of the world’s most popular fighting Playstation game TEKKEN 3." (Eddo Stern) via gamescenes.org Das Portrait vom essendem Eddo Stern stammt von seinem Vimeo-Profil.