After Us The Savage God (Race Against Time iPhone App from Tate Modern)

The userplays as a wily chameleon, travelling through the history of modern art inorder to defeat evil Dr Greyscale’s plan to remove all the colour from theworld.


LONDON.-

 
"Tate Modernannounced an innovative free iPhone game Race Against Time that blends mobile gaming with art history.

    The user plays as awily chameleon, travelling through the history of modern art in order to defeat evil Dr Greyscale’s plan to removeall the colour from the world. As the gamer races through time from 1890 backto the present day, the background, platforms and enemies change to reflect major art movements and works from the last 121 years ofmodern art. A bespoke soundtrack for the game providesan audio journey through the time period – each decade has a stylistic variantof the main theme and uses instruments appropriate to the era.

    Along with Race Against Time, Tate is releasing a new version of its free award-winning mobile game, Tate Trumps, the digital cardgame that brings Tate’s collection to life. Choose one of the three modes (Battle, Mood or Collector), pick 7 artworks tomake up your hand, then play a fast paced round of trumps against the computeror your friends, and see who scores the highest. In this new version, producedby Hide&Seek, the game can now be played anywhere, not just at Tate Modern.Both Race Against Time and Tate Trumps are supported byBloombergas part of a programme of digital content about art that includes Tate Modern’smultimedia guides and Interactive Zone, and the weekly video podcast TateShots.

    Jane Burton, Head ofContent and Creative Director, Tate, says: “Our aim is to bring art to newaudiences who are interested in a more playful experiencethan cultural institutions typically offer. With stunninggraphics, addictive gameplay and stylish soundtrack we think Race AgainstTime will do just that.”

    Jez Nelson, ChiefExecutive Officer, Somethin’ Else, adds: “Somethin’ Else has produced another cutting-edge project which further cements our commitment tocreativity. Race Against Time is a ground-breaking way of incorporatingart and gaming – where the art is as important as the game. No art knowledge is required, as the game aims to informally inspireand educate users simply by playing through thebeautiful artscapes. We are delighted that Tate loved the idea as much as we did.” 

NOTE:   

When I firstencountered this article about the Tate Modern’s latest foray into themulti-media junk world, I was so stunned and offended by its vulgarityand uselessness that I thought it was probablypointless(for me) and unnecessarily unpleasant (for anyone kindenough to be interested in visiting here) to post anything about it.  

   I mean,people seem to love this sort of garbage and I can’t doanything about it except to try to ignore it and stay away from it in my ownlife.  I suppose Race Against Time and Tate Trumps are simply new editions of the same “lifelinesto relevance” that museums have been throwing out to the public forages.  

 

 

   

   

Originally, these sortsof projects were mainly confined to“children’s museum" wings of the great art institutions and, as such, they were unobjectionable, and possibly actually valuable teaching tools.  


     Then, these museumsstarted systematically treating adults as children, adopting (for the single purpose of revenue raising) contemporary  “productize”/“monetize”/"gull the Club"philosophy.   



   We are a tragically long way from Ananda K. Coomaraswamy's actuating maxim that "the function of Art is to imitate nature in her manner of operation." 



  I’vealways loved that couplet inVisions of Johanna that goes: 



“Inside themuseums, Infinity goes up on trial; 

Voices echo this is what Salvation must be like after awhile.”

      Adapting a well-knowncliché:  We get the cultural institutions we deserve.  


  For me this stuff is more toxic than Grand Theft Auto and its kindred "shooter games," which are actually more honest about and purer in their intentions than Race Against Time and Tate Trumps.

 

  


Ólafur Elíasson'sWeather Projectin Turbine Hall of TateModern, London.  After Us The Savage God.

SirJohn Everett Millais, Hearts Are Trumps (detail), 1872, The Tate, London


 

Themes InCounterpoint:

BobDylan: Visions of Johanna  (1966) (link)

Peter Blegvad: Swim (1990) (link)