Creative genius + cutting edge software + open public space = Threshold

Scotland’s first dedicated exhibition space for digital public art, Threshold, located in the heart of Perth Concert Hall, opened its doors in September this year.

The half a million pounds project makes Perth Concert Hall a centre of excellence for digital arts, on a par with only a few other venues in Europe. It has the attitude of a contemporary art gallery but provides the comfort and the service of a stylish bar and restaurant.

Threshold has already successfully showcased numerous new media commissions by local and international artists which include: Hamilton & Ashrowan, Dalziel & Scullion, Scott Tait & David Lumsden, Steve Hendry and Pete Vilk, Janek Schaefer, Dan Perjovschi, Joanna Kane and Richard Brown amongst others.

From now until May 06, our Threshold Stage area becomes a digital playground for young and old to engage with some of the best artists’ games and sound toys with Players. 40 years after the first computer game Spacewar was developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, artists continue to be fascinated by the ever more sophisticated gaming culture bringing along many appreciative players and audiences.

The 13 artworks commissioned for Threshold do not resemble the big budget commercial games of the entertainment industry but rather they are challenging views of iconic characters from Space Invaders to Lara Croft; spreading free open source software principles into areas outside of programming; asking questions about what the future of games might be; using interactive platforms and even surveillance for fun.

Below are some of the commissions featured in Players:

Scottish premiere
Asteroids, Football, Lion and Photoplay by Simon Robertshaw, Onno Baudouin and Peter Appleton.
Sat 26 Nov 2005 – 3 Feb 2006

Attempt to save the planet from the sudden meteorite invasion, hide from the lion before it catches you, play a game of virtual football or get your picture taken and retrieve it from the internet. Fun interactive games where you can choose to play alone or have a laugh with friends.

Supported by the International Centre for Digital Content (ICDC), Liverpool, John Moores University.

www.onnos.com  

First Person 2006 by Beverley Hood
Sat 29 April onwards

Be the first to inhabit the world of First Person – a self-portrait of the artist assuming almost Lara Croft characteristics. Jump, climb, run and sneak your way through another-worldly version of the Threshold artspace.

Supported by Scottish Arts Council Lottery Fund.

www.bhood.co.uk

Scottish premiere
Triggerhappy 1998
Thompson & Craighead
18 Feb – 3 March

The classic arcade game Space Invaders but with a twist on philosophy, hypertext and authorship. Get the thrill of playing the game but try to kill the “death of the author” text before it gets you.

www.thompson-craighead.net
www.triggerhappy.org

World premiere of sound environment
Spring_alpha 2003
Simon Yuill in collaboration with Chad McCail, Ricardo Creemers, Stefan Gartner, Eleonora Oreggia and Mark Vernon
18 March – 1 April

Imagine an industrialised council estate whose inhabitants are attempting to create their own “utopian” society. Be the first to experience the live audio environment of this game. Attempt to re-write the story, the code or even the rules that run this simulated world.

www.spring-alpha.org