Lets do Switzerland! The machinima "Frontiers" (based on the original Game FRONTIERS by us) and the game THE FALLEN will both be shown at «REFRESH X Fantoche», an exhibition which presents visions of possible futures in design and the arts through selected projects and reflects the role of designers and artists in an increasingly digitalized world.
- «Frontiers» is a politically-charged machinima that challenges the conventional boundaries of game narrative and the potential for social dialogue within the gaming community. A dynamic reimagining of the Half-Life 2 engine, the game allows players to assume roles of refugees or various authorities, experiencing the real-life migratory journey from Sub-Saharan Africa to Europe, fraught with border conflicts and the struggle for survival.
The machinima Frontiers is directed and edited by Tobias Hammerle, the game itself by the art group gold extra, of which he is also a member. - «The Fallen» deals with the Ukraine war foregrounding the untold stories of the conflict's victims, contrary to what might be expected from the game's first-person shooter setup. Although the project was realized in 2017 by the artist group gold extra, the game has sadly lost none of its relevance. Set in the ghostly ruins of a destroyed airport in Ukraine's disputed Eastern regions, «The Fallen» forces the players into a confusing skirmish without heroes. It tells the stories of ordinary people who ended up on this battlefield for different reasons. Still, all met the same fate in a senseless civil war tainted by nationalism and propaganda. «The Fallen» confronts the players intriguingly and powerfully with ethical challenges.
Additionaly, Tobias will be guest at a Panel on Saturday, 14:15
This panel deals with strategies of appropriation and repurposing of existing games and digital tools for artistic realms and politically motivated narratives. The panellists provide insights into their multi-layered work, from (live) machinima productions to social mods and radical aesthetic experiments, and reveal their motivation and development processes.
