Had the chance to visit The Art of Video Games exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. — and it did not disappoint.
The exhibition explores the forty-year evolution of video games as an artistic medium, with a focus on striking visual effects and the creative use of new technologies. It brings together 80 games across 20 different gaming systems, from the Atari VCS all the way to the PlayStation 3, examining how games blend painting, music, storytelling, and cinematography into something entirely their own.
One of the highlights: several games are actually playable, including Pac-Man, Super Mario Brothers, The Secret of Monkey Island, Myst, and Flower. The selections were chosen through a public vote that drew over 3.7 million votes from 119,000 people across 175 countries — a remarkable show of how deeply video games are woven into our culture.
I couldn’t resist firing up Super Mario Bros. and showing a group of curious little kids the classic warp zone trick to skip levels. Watching their faces light up when it worked was priceless. Video games have always been about that — shared discovery, wonder, and a little bit of mischief.
If you’re anywhere near D.C. before September 30th, this one is absolutely worth the trip. And best of all, admission is free.