Guided Tour by the curator

Serious Fun

Architecture & Games

Sat 03.09.2022, 17:30-18:30
2 people very blurred in front of white cube with openings

Luisterhuis. The "Listening House" by architect Machiel Spaan and composer Rozalie Hirs is a doll's house that children with and without disabilities can play with together. The house-shaped wooden sculpture has seven cavities that can be explored with the ears.
© Luisterhuis, Machiel Spaan & Rozalie Hirs, 2017, Photograph: Allard van der Hoek

What are the architecture narratives invested in doll's houses, along which guidelines do cities grow in computer games, and what kind of buildings shield ego-shooters from their assailants? The exhibition shows and examines architecture games and toys, inviting you to be astonished, to play and to reflect.

Architecture games and toys are a part of our cultural and technical heritage. They come made of wood, metal or cardboard, others are played on computers or consoles. Hybrid variations turn the city itself into a gameboard, creating an interface to parallel worlds. The exhibition presents games and reflections on games. The exhibits, many of which are interactive, were created by architects, artists and game developers. Visitors can take an alternative city tour through a videogame environment, they can dabble on the virtual London property market, experience doll’s houses as lurid minidramas or develop eco-friendly city districts in collaboration with others. Games do not only integrate architectural practice, they also hold a mirror up to it.

Curator: Mélanie van der Hoorn
Project coordination Az W: Katharina Ritter
Exhibition design: DWARS ontwerp (Mark Schulte & Miriam de Lange)

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