Art & Games

An Installation by Video Boy

What if the surveillance tech left for dead after the decline of Big Brother came alive on its own? 

It’s the year 2084, and we’ve witnessed the rise and fall of Big Brother and its surveillance regime. But it’s not your usual chaotic post-apocalyptic scenario: it’s silent and dusty, and public venues – such as cinema halls or corporate basements – have been left abandoned and deserted.  

Hooked to the corners and hanging from the ceiling, surveillance cameras were left where they were installed. What if these cameras would come alive? What if they reproduced and expanded, like mold, or weeds – a mutated fungus thriving in the top corners of these deserted locations, becoming one with their interiors, silently surveilling decades upon decades. An infesting tech organism made of hard plastic, camera eyes, bright screens and loose cables. 

About the artists

Video Boy (@video_fuel_boy) is a melancholic video and installation artist for whom spatial narrative thrives in the liminal spaces surrounding them, behind the backdoors of their nine-to-five office, or down the empty corridors on the night train back to Rotterdam. Video Boy’s media of choice are outdated consumer electronics – mostly analogue and low fidelity and therefore sometimes defected – such as bulky TVs, mini DVD players and CCTV cameras. 

Roel Weerdenburg is a visual artist and sonic designer. Having studied Music & Technology at HKU, he has been focusing on the composition and performance of electronic music, the creation of sound and video and building audio/visual installations. Recurring techniques in his work are complex feedback systems, the exploration and exploitation of sonic and visual artefacts, combining obsolete hardware with modern technologies, and the spatial use of sound and video.` 

Post-Apocalyptic Big Brother can be seen in the basement of LAB111, every festival day from 24 Oktober – 3 November.

Exhibition & Games

Immerse yourself in a retro-futuristic journey through gaming history with Tetris, Duck Hunt, Mario Bros., Quake and more!

In collaboration with HomeComputerMuseum in Helmond, this interactive exhibition showcases iconic devices such as the Apple Macintosh 128k and Nintendo Famicom, revealing how technology influences storytelling through unique interfaces.

Step into Interfaces of Reality, an exhibition offering a fascinating journey through some of the devices and games that have defined our digital world over the past four decades. Imagine the dawn of personal computing with the groundbreaking Apple Macintosh 128k, Pacman and Tetris; the Nintendo Famicom, which revolutionized home entertainment with games like Duck Hunt and Mario Bros.; the versatility of the Commodore 64, a machine that brought computing power to the masses and got us hooked on Bruce Lee II and Neuromancer; or the influential ATARI 1024STF, which pushed the boundaries of graphics and gameplay (Outrun, anyone??). Our exhibition highlights these milestones and others, showing how each device brought unique experiences to life.

As part of Imagine Fantastic Film Festival 2024, we celebrate the legacy of these iconic systems and their role in shaping today’s technological landscape. Each device represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of technology, shaping the way we interact with digital media today. And interact you shall! Games like Tetris, Prince of Persia, Duck Hunt and many, many others are ready for you.

The computers are set up in the LAB111 basement during Imagine, from 24 October – 3 November.  Gaming is free, whenever there’s a spot available. Just drop by!