On Thursday, 19 September at 18:30, the Pax Art Awards will be presented for the seventh time at HEK (Haus der Elektronischen Künste) in Basel.
Since 2018, the Art Foundation Pax has been presenting the Pax Art Awards in collaboration with HEK (House of electronic Arts Basel). Starting in 2024, two additional Talent Awards will be introduced for emerging artists from Swiss art schools whose works employ media technologies or reflect on the impact of technology on society and individuals.
The project ESC by Emma Grosu, a recent Bachelor Media & Interaction Design graduate and winner of the Talent Award from the Pax Art Awards, will be presented at the HEK from September 19th to September 22nd.
ESC
Diploma project by Emma Grosu
, Bachelor Media & Interaction Design
Video games allow players to escape into narrative worlds where they hold ‘all the power.’ In ESC, the game’s character seeks to escape his own reality. This reversal examines the notions of freedom and constraint in video games, ironically highlighting the limits of our existence. What would happen if a character became aware of their situation, realizing that they are not in control of their movements but are, instead, imprisoned by them? ESC allowed me to explore concepts of immersion such as breaking the fourth wall and mise en abyme. Inspired by works like ‘The Truman Show’ and ‘Sword Art Online,’ I illustrated how the perception of freedom can be an illusion, both in video games and in the physical world
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