Video game, immersive installation
YEAR 2024
ART DIRECTION, PRODUCTION Mélanie Courtinat
CURATION Victoria Mühlig
DEVELOPMENT Mélanie Courtinat, Alpha Rats, Alex Sinh Nguyen
MUSIC Inès Chérifi at Færies Records, Yatoni
The Siren is a digital exploration that questions the traditional conventions of video games. The work probes the meaning we assign to actions within a game, the motivations behind our playful engagements, and aims to eventually introduce an art exhibition public to the medium.
This inclusive approach is designed to be accessible to everyone, including newcomers, while also providing an additional level of understanding for those already acquainted with video games. As a result, the piece features accessible gameplay and incorporates a so-called 'cinematic' dimension, thus offering a rich visual experience for those who prefer to watch.
In The Siren, players embody a heroine wearing a shimmering armor who initially wanders aimlessly along a beach at dusk. Once in control, players quickly engage in actions under the watchful eye of an omniscient narrator. This narrator prompts players to undertake a seemingly arbitrary task—or side quest—of collecting bioluminescent seashells scattered across the sand, before being allowed to move on to the main quest: the rescue of a damsel in distress.
The player's interaction, especially through multiple-choice dialogues with the narrator, influences the unfolding of the story and can trigger multiple distinct endings, depending on players interpretation and conscious choices.
[The Siren was commissioned by the Pully Art Museum as part of their exhibition Vivre l’œuvre / Voyage aux frontières de l’art immersif contemporain.]
