On Thursday, Sept. 30, John Derevlany’s Culverland will be installed on the south side of Culver Boulevard, on the sidewalk just east of The Culver Hotel.
This public art/game installation was commissioned through a request for proposal process by the Cultural Affairs Commission, approved by the City Council and paid for by the city’s Art Fund. The installation is timed in conjunction with the IndieCade Festival: International Festival of Independent Games in Culver City, Starting on Friday, Oct. 8.
Culverland is a temporary artwork inspired by the work of early 20th century Dutch painter Piet Mondrian. It also is a giant board game, accessible to the general public, inspired by a popular Milton Bradley game entitled Candyland.
The Culverland game board is 90 feet long by 18 feet wide. Players become the game pieces as they move forward on the board based on the colors of cars passing through Downtown. The rules will be included on the board at its location in the sidewalk. They also are available at http://www.culverland.com/rules.htm. The game is open to the public. Players are invited to play through Monday, Nov. 1, when the game will be removed.
The IndieCade Festival is the only stand-alone international festival of independent games open to the public in the United States. It will include hands-on, playable exhibits of the 32 juried game finalists at locations throughout Downtown.
Produced by Creative Media Collaborative, Inc. and sponsored by the Redevelopment Agency and City Hall, IndieCade will take place the three-day weekend of Oct. 8.
A full calendar of events, workshops, featured previews of anticipated new innovative works, an awards reception featuring the top awardees, salons and various workshops led by industry leaders and featured gamemakers.
Free events include access to the weekend Gamewalk, outdoor family games and other activities, as well as ongoing and city-wide game play. Tickets for festival passes, the gamemaker conference, and the red carpet awards ceremony may be purchased at http://www.indiecade.com/index.php/2010/tickets/.
Mr. Derevlany the artist is a television writer, animator, game designer and transmedia producer who lives in Culver City with his wife and their two children.
Mr. Derevlany is developing a series of real world and electronic games that are driven by environmental game mechanics (such as traffic, weather, insects, pedestrian behavior). Culverland is the first of these games to be produced.
See www.culverland.com or www.IndieCade.com
