Gamertell

The reactions to the infamous art installation by Douglas Edric Stanley (wherein an interactive game of Space Invaders was superimposed over images of the attacked World Trade center towers) were almost entirely negative. The work was trashed as an offensive, meaningless, tasteless piece; and Stanley ended up taking it down from it’s display at GC last month. One writer believes we’ve all been too quick to judge, however, and that a large part of it is the fact that the piece was presented as a game.

Lim Sheng Ming of CNET Asia questions why this particular example was lambasted, when it may well have had a powerful message. And in fact, because it was a game with an interactive element, it may have been all the more powerful.

I agree. I know anything regarding 9/11 is a touchy subject, but the point of art is to look at difficult subjects and ask difficult questions, is it not? Further, all Ming is advocating is taking a second look beyond an initial knee-jerk reaction. Our media will never grow up if we don’t treat it with a little more respect.

Read [CNET Asia]