This exhibition marked the first time The Trolley was presented as an artwork in an institutional setting, as it had primarily been shown as a video game at conferences and fairs before. Through a first-person point-and-click narrative, the artwork explores the gradual disappearance of the public transportation system in a fictional Rustbelt American city. This serves as a metaphor for the transformations in public space and urban infrastructure in the United States. The work is both medium-specific and politically relevant, pushing the boundaries of traditional and new media by combining storytelling, cinematic elements, and the medium of game.

For its presentation at Cultural Matter, The Trolley was transformed into a spatial installation. Visitors had the opportunity to play the game on-site, and specially made prints derived directly from the video game were exhibited. This presentation emphasized the cinematic qualities and spatiality of the video game medium. Together with the artist, efforts were made to create an installation that would immerse visitors in the world of The Trolley, adopting a cross-media approach.

During the opening on 17 January 2018, curator and game expert Isabelle Arvers engaged in a discussion with the artist. Arvers and O'Brien analyzed the video game from a narrative and cinematic perspective, focusing on the concept of location (sites/non-sites) in games and art. The conversation extended to other experimental video games that intersect gaming, art, and storytelling.

Furthermore, during an accompanying lecture on 19 February 2018 guest curator and critic Filippo Lorenzin seized the opportunity to discuss O'Brien's work. Lorenzin drew connections between O'Brien and Edward Hopper, the American urban realist painter, exploring the experience of the urban environment in visual arts and literature, starting from the notion of the flâneur.

About Nicholas O'Brien

Nicholas O’Brien is an artist with a strong focus on game culture and game elements. As a curator he researched themes such as digital nature and digital romanticism, which also come up in his autonomous work. O’Brien lives and works in New York. (updated as of January 2018)

Events

Exhibition: 17 January - 28 February 2018 | 17:00-23:00 | LI-MA (Arie Biemondstraat 111, Amsterdam)

Event (1): Cultural Matter: Nicholas O'Brien in conversation with Isabelle Arvers | 17 January 2018 | 20:00

Event (2): Cultural Matter: Filippo Lorenzin on Nicholas Brien | 19 February 2018 | 19:45

Images in descending order:

• Banner Cultural Matter: Nicholas O'Brien, The Trolley, 2018
• Installation view Nicholas O'Brien, The Trolley at LI-MA, Amsterdam

Photos by Jose Miguel Biscaya