The City of Culver City will present its second annual temporary public art installation, “Invaded,” by Jason Torchinsky in conjunction with IndieCade: The International Festival of Independent Games, beginning Sept. 30.
“Invaded” is an outdoor installation of four large sculptures, based on the popular and influential video game Space Invaders, created by Tomohiro Nishikado in 1978, about a massive alien invasion. It brings to life an alien landing on the surface of Culver City’s Town Plaza by inviting the public to explore the space around them in a whimsical manner that references vintage video games, alien invasion movies and nostalgic technology.
“Invaded” was selected by both the Cultural Affairs Commission and the City Council because it complements and promotes the IndieCade Festival and emphasizes Culver City’s support of the video game industry.
Jason Torchinsky is an artist, writer and instructor at the School for the Visual Arts and Humanities, the Los Angeles Unified School District pilot school for which he designed and runs the Digital Design Department. He has collaborated with Kerry Tribe and Machine Project on installations at the Hammer Museum, as well as LACMA, and created giant, interactive sculptures, including an Atari joystick, which has toured to numerous venues in the United States and Europe, and is the author of Ad Nauseam: a Survivor’s Guide to American Consumer Culture, published by MacMillan. For more information, go to jasontorchinsky.com.
IndieCade: The International Festival of Independent Games will occur throughout downtown Culver City Oct. 6 – 9. The annual event converts downtown Culver City into a game arcade, with opportunities to play the latest innovative indie video games and rub shoulders with the creators. The Festival’s “Game Walk” is open and free to the public on Saturday, Oct. 8, from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 9, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Registration for the conference and festival wristbands are available through Brown Paper Tickets.
IndieCade supports independent game development and organizes a series of international events showcasing the future of independent games. It encourages, publicizes and cultivates innovation and artistry in interactive media, helping to create a public perception of games as rich, diverse, artistic and culturally significant. IndieCade was formed by Creative Media Collaborative, an alliance of industry producers and leaders founded in 2005.
For more information, go to indiecade.com.
The Culver City Art in Public Places Program was established in 1988 and currently includes more than 90 pieces of permanent public art. Cultural Affairs staff and the Cultural Affairs Commission are working to incorporate more temporary public art such as “Invaded” into the program. More information is available at culvercity.org.
