Lose/Lose
Zach Gage
http://www.stfj.net/art/2009/loselose/
Lose/Lose is a video-game with real life consequences. Each alien in the game is created based on a random file on the player’s computer. If the player kills the alien, the file it is based on is deleted. If the player’s ship is destroyed, the application itself is deleted.
By way of exploring what it means to kill in a video-game, Lose/Lose broaches bigger questions. As technology grows, our understanding of it diminishes, yet, at the same time, it becomes increasingly important in our lives. At what point does our virtual data become as important to us as physical possessions? If we have reached that point already, what real objects do we value less than our data? What implications does trusting something so important to something we understand so poorly have?
Zach Gage is a conceptual new media artist from New York City. His work attempts to inspire thought and discussion by broaching serious topics through humor. Gage is currently attending Parsons the New School for Design, and working on his M.F.A.