The Museum of Modern Art in New York City is hosting the first US-based solo exhibit from artist Ian Cheng: a live simulation known as the “Emissary trilogy.” In addition to the physical installation, the museum is also streaming “unique versions that exist online only” via Twitch. The second piece, Emissary Forks At Perfection, began streaming yesterday and is available to watch until July 24th.
Twitch is best known as a platform widely used by the gaming community, and the partnership with MoMA reflects that. The Emissary trilogy creates its simulation through the use of a video game engine; Cheng describes it as “a video game that plays itself.” The exhibit is an exploration of the human consciousness and evolution.
The stream is available on Twitch and MoMA’s website, and the exhibit runs until September 25th. The final piece, Emissary Sunsets the Self, runs from August 8th to September 25th.
For those who can make it to the museum, the actual exhibit features 10-foot projections as part of its large-scale installation. Viewers are invited to “follow the lives of specific characters as they interact within the simulated worlds and each other in an ever-changing environment.”
People looking to experience the concept more in-depth can also download Everything on PlayStation 4. The game — another evolution-based idea that can play itself — was featured as an art exhibit at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.