»HUMAN SIMULATOR«
Animationseries2000
About “Human Simulator” // »Human Simulator« is an animation depicting a fictitious computer game that results in different scenarios at the end of the game. The visitor is guided through various game sequences in which the player will either die of running out of „human time“ or an emotional downward spiral.
In different game modes, the aim is to maintain the right balance between 2 contradicting emotions. (Mode 1: Annoyed vs. Lonely, Mode 2: Aggressive vs. Insecure, Mode 3: Broody vs. Impulsive, Mode 4: Scared vs. Slaphappy). These emotional opposites can be balanced in the game by consuming products and (not) socially interacting. Caring for the players’ emotional needs will prevent a deadly mental downward spiral.
To escape the countdown of »human time« for as long as possible, the player can collect bitcoins and consumer goods that can be exchanged for more »human time«. At some point, the player is forced to choose: consuming and socializing are two actions that can mutually exclude each other: buying more human-time means focusing on collecting items and therefore can lead to neglecting the emotional balance.
In this game, human-time ends anyway, but with »human simulator« the player can earn a second chance at the one-armed bandit to win a bonus level in »survival mode« with a few more seconds to live where they can collect some extra bitcoins.
»Human Simulator« is a dystopian game that nevertheless demonstrates the emotional implications of being human in a humorous way.
Process / The project resulted from an open call by „ZW°70“. The digital artspace of „ZW°70“ consists of several huge screens that frame the space and surround the viewer from 3 sides. The idea of creating an immersive experience only with animation was a very appealing idea for us that we were keen to realize.
When we started our cooperation with ZW°70, »Human Simulator« developed into a digital triptychon. After the viewer is guided through the game/player mode selection, the 3-sided screen is split into three parts: in the center, the visitor can follow the game being played, while the left screen becomes an interface, showing the name of the game mode and player attributes. The right screen visualizes the countdown of human-time in bold font.
The original idea was to show the daily personal struggle of keeping a balance between contrasting emotions and not falling into a mental downward spiral. »Human Simulator« is also a juxtaposition of individual and global problems. While the emotional balance remains an individual issue (that is located on the central screen), the threatening end of human-time accompanies and eventually surrounds and dominates these personal problems (from the left and right).
During recent years, we have been working with a couple of multimedia-based installations in which we aimed at merging our digital and analog works to create a kind of entertaining microcosm for the recipient. Thematically, those installations centered around the subject of consumerism. For example, in 2019 at the Affenfaust gallery we created a kiosk that was made of handmade clay and papermaché objects – consumer goods that were translated from a 2D-digital world of our animations into the analog installation. The protagonists of the animations were brought to life as limited edition handcrafted action figures that were sold in the kiosk.
About Animationseries2000 / We are an artist-duo from Hamburg, Germany. We work playfully across a range of media such as animation, illustration, painting, objects & comics, combining analogue and digital elements in multimedia-based installations that deal with the aesthetic and cultural significance of everyday consumer worlds and their elements. Our main project is the long-term project of Budny and Rossman, a webseries and several art-installations connecting to that world.
About ZW°70 / “ZW°70 is a mobile exhibition space in which artists and works of digital art are shown in various temporary exhibitions. The project started in July 2021 and is being realised in cooperation with Kunstfelder e.V. So far, ZW°70 has exhibited digital art both in public spaces in Hamburg and at the festivals MS ARTVILLE, 48h Wilhelmsburg and Reeperbahn Festival. The first exhibition phase began in mid-July and ended at the end of September. Further exhibition phases are being planned.” (text: ZW°70)
CREDITS
Artwork by Animationseries2000 @budnyandrossman
https://animationseries2000.com)
Exhibition Photos by ZW°70 @zwo70.art
