This workshops is a trial to retrieve rules behind communication and space by doing life-size game in an urban space.

Every single game has a rule. Even computer game has. The rule controlles all the communication over the game board. On videogame, computer takes care of most of this part with algorithm that programmer wrote. On chess, two players share the rule. Otherwise they can not continue the game. When we play chess over the chessboard, we share the rule and it creates shared moment. When we play videogame, we obey to and enjoy the algorithm and share the moment with machine.

Not only the games, most of "shared"stuff needs certain rule. Even society consists of rules that we create and maintain. But, unlike rules of chess game, it is flexible. We change our rule of society based on agreements. If we see the society as a big game, where it goes? what is the condition of winnig? Though, there is no end of the game and there is no winner nor loser (hopefully).

Description
Results

Link: The rule of Othello ®

We chose "Othello ®" as a platform of this workshop. The game has some advantage than chess

1) Relativery simple than chess
2) Size of gameboard is flexible
3) Number of pieces of the game is flexible
4) Since pieces of the game "flips" during the game, in this workshop, same person can change its role friquentry. It will create dynamics in the workshop.

The basic framework of the workshop is to play the game "Othello ®" in life size and in an urban space. Life size game creates communication between "piece of the game".

I started with the idea of the workshop as metaphor of political systems. There were two different types of workshop plans initially.

1)Direct democracy
2)Dictatorship

Until now, we tried 1) only. I think we can keep 2) for the future when we need to know how we could be suffered under a dictatorship...
Anyway, here is plans.

1)Direct democracy:
We can not hide each other team's starategy since we talk over the field.

2)Dictatorship:
Only two of game players make dicisions. Others wait for their "command" through mobilephone or walky-talky. Those who waits commands can not know what is really going on the entire game...

Results: at Malmo, Sweden Summer 2003

We did a game at Malmo Art academy in summer of 2003.

We had 6 participants includes artist himself. 6 pieces of the game for 4X4 gameboard. We were needed to have at least 16 participants if we follow formal rule of "Othello ®". It was obvious that we will run out the piece of the game shortly. Then we started to bend and innovate new rules of the game only to continiue and enjoy the game. This brought a discussion after 2 sessions of the game.