It’s yet another week, and yet another blog post. This is our 7th post, of a (hopefully) total of 10. It’s surreal that the semester is so close to the end, and it is scaring me a little bit (who am I kidding, it scares me a lot). I’m currently in my hometown on Easter-break, or really just Easter because there is no time for break.
This week started out with a visit to Bergen University Library for the opening of Mia’s art installation called #Textransformations. She lured us in with pizza, and we stayed for the art. It was very interactive, and I made several poems – alone and together with @SnowCherrie.
My first art installation is coming up! March 20th, Humanities Library, University of Bergen, Norway. Open to the public. Come one, come all. #netnarr #elitclass #digitalart #digciz #dh #digitalculture @netnarr pic.twitter.com/tnco7tv8ux
— Mia Zamora (@MiaZamoraPhD) 9. mars 2018
The visual aspect of the installation actually reminds me of a game I have played, called Unravel. Here you play a little fellow of tread called Yarny, and you follow a piece of yarn that is attached to him and solve puzzles to unlock the memories of his lost family. There are no words in this game, but the art is beautiful. And emotional. 10 out of 10, would recommend.
I’ll insert some photos taken at the installation, and you will understand what I am talking about. I feel like Yarny is here somewhere, hiding. Maybe in the clues? All the QR codes where scan-able, and there was also a stations with cutout words, and poems, inviting the viewer to participate and make there own poem-contribution. I’ll insert some poems we made too. Also, the pizza was good, but I think they underestimated the number of participants, so it I only got a small taste. There where also computer stations, but they where always busy, so I didn’t get to check out what that was all about. Also I was busy being a poet.






On Thursdays lesson, the tema was serious-, or empathy-games. Unfortunately I was unable to attend, and was hoping for a recap in Mia’s weekly update and in the slides from class, but there doesn’t seem to be any for this week. But through my classmates Tweets, I got a hold of a couple of the names of the games they tested – and checked some of them out in my own time. This type of games are developed for a different purpose than pure entertainment, but rather to evoke emotions and feelings in the player.
I tested Bad news and Spent. In bad news I lost pretty quickly and died a hero. Your goal is to gain followers and credibility, you are suppose to build ut a fake news site. It is ment for education and scientific purposes, and I guess it works for that. Educational purposes I mean, not that I learned anything new.
SPENT is a game made for Urban Ministries of Durham, a nonprofit organization that is working towards the end of homelessness, poverty and hunger. In the game you are an un-employed american, struggling with finding a job, paying bills and getting health insurance. You get to make choices, like which of the bills to pay, what to buy and if you should have treatments you need, but can’t afford. I must be honest, I did fail to complete this game. I don’t know if my american survived. But I think this kind of game is quite clever, to give people a view on things they might take for granted. Trying to combine important stuff with things people love. As I student, I don’t have a lot of dough to “throw around” either, but I am still lucky to be living in Norway, and to be born with the privileges that I have. I still found the game boring, it might be because this is nothing new to me. For someone who are unaware, it might be different. Also the format, it was a lot of clicking. I get inpatient.
Last week I spoke about games and aggression. I personal don’t think that games make you violent (as a normal player, if you have a gaming addiction or other mentale issues connected to gaming, it might be different), except when you loose (No, I am kidding. But not really). If a game makes you go out and punch people, there was already something broken inside of you.
But I do think games can do good, make you learn things about yourself – and others.
And then finally, the DDA’s and other tweets:
Hello Oslo
Hello snow
Hello Easter
Hello, hello! #dda164 #netarr @netnarr— Lisa J. Knashaug (@Hotvott) 22. mars 2018
@netnarr #netnarr #dda194 pic.twitter.com/bEkqbkY2Hp
— Lisa J. Knashaug (@Hotvott) 25. mars 2018
@SgDenny2 is caught in the web.#textransformations #netnarr pic.twitter.com/yPt7GS9UJy
— Lisa J. Knashaug (@Hotvott) 20. mars 2018
Spring is coming!
– Lisa