Sep 5, 2024

Video game arts play on

Toronto artist Jim Munroe on bringing indie video games back to the AGO

Still from watercolour video game Été (2024)

Still from Été (2024), a watercolour painting game created by Impossible Studio. © Impossible Studio.

A decade ago, the AGO invited Toronto artist Jim Munroe to co-host the Fancy Video Game Party, an interactive celebration designed to encourage the production and recognition of video game art. Then still very much a burgeoning art form, in the decade that has passed, indie video game culture has continued to evolve, buoyed by exhibitions like the Victoria and Albert Museum’s 2018 Videogames: Design/Play/Disrupt (An exhibition, mind you, curated by Marie Foulston, who co-curated the Fancy Videogame Party in 2014) and challenged by its own success.

On Friday, September 6, the AGO welcomes back Jim, now the co-organizer of Toronto Games Week and a bevy of local indie game developers, to discuss, explore and most importantly, play. Nine games will be featured – each offering a unique experience, from a watercolour painting game released earlier this summer to an animated hiking adventure game led by birds. Visitors can demo them all – no quarters necessary.

Artist Jim Munroe, co-lead Toronto Games Week

Toronto artist Jim Munroe is co-lead of Toronto Games Week and will speak at Video Game Arts Night. Photo by Ani Castillo. Courtesy the artist.

Ahead of this event, Foyer caught up with Jim to hear more about the state of the video game art.

Foyer: What is something that people do not necessarily appreciate about video game arts?
Munroe: Game culture is not monolithic. Much the same as you have blockbuster movies and arthouse movies in cinema, you have mainstream games and arthouse games -- the latter often doing expected or surprising things, sometimes in opposition to mainstream games.

You’ve been a leader in the scene – as a founder of the Hand Eye Society and now as the co-lead on Toronto Games Week for more than a decade. As awareness of video game arts spreads, has there been any major shifts /trends?

When I co-founded the HES in 2009, there were a few years where a number of game creators I knew were making a living from indie game creation. They got in early when a game could be released and be discovered by an audience hungry for new games -- but these days, the market feels saturated. That means it's the same as releasing an album, book, or comic -- unless it's the rare exception, it probably won't make enough money to sustain its creators on sales alone.

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Still from Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy by Bennett Foddy. Image courtesy Bennett Foddy. © Bennett Foddy

still from the animated video game A Short Hike

Still from A Short Hike (2019) created by Adam Robinson-Yu. Image courtesy the artist. © Adam Robinson-Yu

Still from Electro-Viviection video game

Still from Electro-Vivisection by Luis Hernandez. Image courtesy Luis Hernandez. © Luis Hernandez.

Still from Unleaving by Orangutan Matter

Still from Unleaving (2024) by Orangutan Matter. Image courtesy Orangutan Matter. © Orangutan Matter

Still from Nothing Good Can Come of This (Cartwheel, USA)

Still from Nothing Good Can Come of This (2024) by Cartwheel Games. Image courtesy Cartwheel Games. © Cartwheel Games

Where does Toronto rank in the world of video game arts? Are we notable or growing?

Toronto has a few distinct advantages. The city motto Diversity Our Strength points to the cultural mix that can help artists draw from a broader range of influences. Compared to most other places around the world, there is also a large amount of arts and industry funding available to support game creators to take risks and create innovative work.

The vibrant indie movie, comic, music, and other art scenes in Toronto also serve to inspire game creators here, but we are currently failing all our artists in not addressing the housing crisis effectively. I see many younger artists being forced out and this is a significant loss to the culture of the city. We need more non-profits like Options for Homes and better governmental reforms on property-as-investment vehicles.

The video games that will be on display at the AGO on September 6 – how did you select them? Do they have any commonalities?

Each game I selected presents some kind of artistic value I felt was worth showcasing to a game-curious public. I'll be highlighting things about each game at the event. For example, as you paint your way through Montreal in the summer, Été allows you a unique kind of creative agency. Cuphead is a game in passionate conversation with another medium, the golden age of animation. As well, I'm very excited that most of the games are going to have the creator or a team member present to answer a question I have about their process -- allowing the audience to meet the people behind the games.

Don’t miss Jim Munroe when he speaks with artists Lazlo Bonin, JohnLee Cooper, Luis Hernandez, Jessica Mak, Adam Robinson-Yu, and artists from the collectives Orangutan Matter and Studio MDHR on Friday, September from 6 pm to 9 pm, as part of Video Game Arts Night. Part of the AGO Friday night programming series, this event is free with general admission. For additional information visit ago.ca/events/video-game-arts-night.