Article Via The Kitchener Post
TIFF’s digiPlaySpace open throughout 2018
An innovative exhibit now open at TheMuseum in downtown Kitchener continues with the theme of gaming, but is unlike anything most hobbyists would be accustomed to.
On loan from the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), digiPlaySpace features 10 installations by international artists incorporating cameras, sensors, interactive audio, projection mapping and other forms of new-media technology that allow people to transform themselves and their surroundings.
“Visitors can transform into animated characters, talk like a robot, race their friends on a track they design, or create their own short, animated video,” said Laurel McKellar, TheMuseum’s senior director of curation, exhibitions and program development.
The new exhibit is referred to as a “technology playground” and brings together interactive games, mind-bending augmented-reality installations and innovative coding activities that showcase the creative potential of new technologies.
Keylight by Aaron Van Domelen (Canada) uses chroma-key technology and unique props to transport people around the world.
Flippaper by Jérémie Cortial and Roman Miletitch (France, Belgium) allows visitors to create their own colourful pinball game using magnetic shapes. Pushing a button brings the creation to life allowing kids to play a virtual pinball game of their own making.
While McKellar said the exhibit is aimed at children three to 13, she said it’s fun for all ages, including parents.
An ‘APPcade’ is divided into sections for three different age groups and allows families to sample dozens of the latest educational learning resources for children.
“If they’re going to be on the tablet, then you want them to be using educational apps, and this is a good resource for that,” said McKellar.
digiPlaySpace is a followup to the TheMuseum’s Digital Dynamix exhibit earlier this year, part of which focused on the history of video games.
Decoding E-Money, organized and circulated by the Bank of Canada Museum, is now open on the third floor of the museum and is described as the perfect way to discover the emerging world of bitcoin. Participants can follow their dollar through the economy, from purchase to deposit, using traditional and e-payment systems.
“Experiential learning is one of TheMuseum’s values and these two experiences are great examples,” says TheMuseum CEO David Marskell. “By demystifying virtual currencies and partnering with TIFF, I believe this will help awe, inspire and enlighten this community.”
TheMuseum’s portable planetarium has also reopened for the summer months, McKellar noted.
For more about digiPlaySpace and this summer’s lineup, visit themuseum.ca.