By: Harrison Chang

What exactly can be considered modern art? Recently, the Museum of Modern Art has started to collect video games for a new type of showpiece, however, the public doesn’t seem to agree with this.

People who visit the Museum of Modern Art don’t like this new trend, some of them even make complaints about it. Some individuals complain by saying, “Why are video games considered art? They don’t deserve this title.” However, museums can do more to break down the barriers between art lovers and games, allowing art lovers to understand more about how games can be considered art.

MoMA started collecting games to show they’re, in fact, artistic. Today, games dominate social culture. MoMA cautiously introduced gaming as an art form with the “Never Alone: Video Games and Other Interactive Design” exhibition. The museum should bridge the gap between art and games because the curators must unleash their passion for games. The first floor of the exhibition displays playable/visible games. This exhibit in the MoMA is important because it highlights the cultural importance of gaming. Revenue is expected to hit $385B in 2023.

Gaming reflects screen-mediated relationships in our era. Art’s original purpose was to make people worship others and boost social connections between people. Games do the same thing. Games make new players worship older ones and create a community where people can talk to one another about the games. This is why museums should bridge the gap between art and games. They are not as different as some people may seem to think.

Despite all this, however, some critics still believe playtime belongs to children. This is a similar attitude that once harmed the performing arts too. However, museums now embrace performance art, and the same can be said for gaming. Gaming offers immersive experiences through virtual worlds, effortlessly accessed with a controller. The exhibition “Never Alone” exemplifies this simplicity, with games like “Flower” allowing players to guide petals through an imaginary landscape. This concept has been present in modern gaming since Super Mario 64, where players entered paintings in a museum-like castle to progress through the story.