Vienna
Completed

Ericka Beckman: Game Mechanics Exhibition – Exploring Society Through Film and Video Art

This major show delves into competition, rules, and allegories, featuring "You the Better" and "Tension Building" installations.

Immerse yourself in Ericka Beckman's "Game Mechanics" exhibition. This compelling presentation features her innovative film and video installations that skillfully use the structures of games and sports as insightful metaphors for complex socio-cultural behaviors and societal frameworks. Discover key works such as the impactful "You the Better" installation and her recent film "Tension Building," offering a unique perspective on contemporary art.

About Ericka Beckman: Game Mechanics at Secession in Vienna

Read curatorial context and practical visitor information for Ericka Beckman: Game Mechanics at Secession in Vienna

Exhibition summary

This exhibition by American artist Ericka Beckman features film and video works that explore games, sports, and their underlying rules and structures as metaphors for socio-cultural norms. The show highlights the film installation 'You the Better' (1983/2015) and her film 'Tension Building' (2016).

Curatorial context

The exhibition "Game Mechanics" by American artist Ericka Beckman delves into the thematic territory of games, sporting competitions, and their inherent rules and structures, interpreting them as allegories for the formation and maintenance of socio-cultural norms. At the Secession, Beckman presents her film installation "You the Better" (1983/2015), her most recent film "Tension Building" (2016), and accompanying drawings. "You the Better" is an early work where the narrative is driven by themes of accumulation, competition, and the organization of thoughts and memories through rules and symbols. In the film, uniformed players enact the mechanics of a game of chance, generating points unpredictably. The installation in the gallery is augmented by eight house-shaped lightboxes that synchronize with the film's rhythm, changing color and structuring the space, echoing the motif of the house as a recurring symbol representing private property, game objectives, and capitalist motivation.

Admission and ticket notes

Information regarding tickets can be found via a provided link to an external ticketing platform (Eventjet). Access to the Secession is generally during opening hours, with details on museum entry and potential exhibition-specific ticketing likely managed through the provided link or general museum information.

Ericka Beckman: Game Mechanics key exhibition facts

Review exhibition status, schedule, venue context, and attribution details for Ericka Beckman: Game Mechanics at Secession in Vienna

Venue
Secession
Current status
Completed
Exhibition schedule
Jul 6, 2017 – Sep 3, 2017
Artist line / attribution
Featuring works by American artist Ericka Beckman (born 1951 in Hempstead, New York, USA, lives and works in New York City).
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