Think video games are just entertainment? The ELEKTRA Biennale would like a word. Its eighth edition, titled F(R)ICTION: art et jeux, turns a Griffintown art space into a month-long playground for experimental, radical and sometimes deeply moving games, all approached as contemporary art. It runs until Sunday, Nov. 15, which means there are two weekends left to play. Here’s what to expect, where to go and how to plan your visit.
What the ELEKTRA Biennale is about
ELEKTRA, a Montreal organization that has presented artists working with new technologies for years, has run its biennale since 2012, billed as the largest exhibition dedicated to digital art in North America. This edition, curated by Lynn Hughes and Ida Toft, brings together two parallel paths, according to ELEKTRA’s program: artists who bring games into contemporary art, and creators who come from game design. The show traces how both have expanded what a game can be, from pioneering works to the newest generation, and questions the stereotype of the industrial video game as mere entertainment.
Why games, and why now?
Games have become one of the most widespread forms of contemporary expression, and artists have been using them to tell stories that don’t fit anywhere else: about grief, the body, climate, work or memory. A game asks you to act, not just watch, and that friction between player and work is what this edition’s title plays on. Expect pieces that are slow, strange, funny or uncomfortable, and very few that look like what’s on your console at home.
The main exhibition at the Arsenal
The heart of the biennale is the exhibition at Arsenal art contemporain, 2020 rue William in Griffintown. Around 40 creators are featured, with:
- Large-format installations
- Experimental and radical games
- Talks and meetings with artists
- Game-creation workshops
- A lounge and a temporary library of Quebec media arts
Here’s the best part: with 35 game-works adding up to more than a hundred hours of play, it’s impossible to see everything in one visit, so your ticket lets you come back to the exhibition as many times as you like. Tickets range from about $12 to $25, depending on the option, which makes repeat visits excellent value.
Beyond the Arsenal
The biennale spills into other venues around the city:
- Galerie ELEKTRA (5445 avenue de Gaspé, Mile End): Tout guérit, même ça, a show of darker game-works, runs until Dec. 12.
- Hôtel SonoLux (225 rue Saint-Jacques, Old Montreal): Lux Æterna, an ode to light, is on until April 1, 2027.
- 4th Space at Concordia hosted a talk on creative agency and AI in late October as part of the program.
A hands-on workshop this weekend
On Saturday, Nov. 7, the Arsenal hosts “Jeux et énergie solaire,” a fabrication workshop with artist Lee Wilkins exploring games and solar energy. Spots for workshops are usually limited, so check the events page for details and registration.
The program has been busy since opening night. Earlier events included round tables and live play sessions with the artists on Oct. 17, an eight-bit storytelling and game-design workshop with Vanny on Oct. 24, and a discussion on artificial intelligence and human creative agency at Concordia on Oct. 26. It’s a sign of what ELEKTRA is aiming for: not just a show to look at, but a space to play, meet and make things.
Who should go
- Gamers curious about what happens when artists, not studios, make games.
- Art lovers who want to see a contemporary medium taken seriously.
- Families with older kids and teens, who will get the medium instantly. Check individual works for content notes.
- Rainy-day planners looking for a long, indoor afternoon.
Tips for your visit
- Give yourself at least two hours the first time, then come back.
- Weekday afternoons are usually calmer than weekends.
- Combine it with a walk along the Lachine Canal and a bite in Griffintown or Saint-Henri.
- The exhibition closes Nov. 15. Don’t wait for the last weekend.
Tourisme Montréal lists the biennale among November’s highlights in its monthly guide. For more indoor culture, see our picks of museum exhibitions, our Planetarium and Biodome guide and our list of free things to do in November. More in our Things to Do section. Bon jeu!
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Photo: Guerinf / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Sources: ELEKTRA Montréal, ELEKTRA (events), Arsenal art contemporain, Hôtel SonoLux, Concordia 4th Space, Tourisme Montréal
