Abstract:
This master thesis aims to examine the perceived status of videogames within the arts, and how this status can be established as well as officially recognized, in such a way as to warrant governmental funding as an actual artform. As a starting point, this thesis will be utilizing the governmental art fund, named “Statens Kunstfond”, set intentions behind the financial support program, which primarily entails the communication of art to the Danish people, and the consequent purpose of art resulting from this utilization. With this in mind, this thesis will seek to examine several arguments regarding the influence of aesthetics, on both an interpersonal and a cultural level, in order to assess any aspects of videogames which could be included in a potential discussion regarding the status of this media as an art form.
The intent is to examine the discursive process, wherein a phenomenon becomes conceptualized and is put into a more meaningful context, as well as supporting the idea that aesthetics is essential to the human experience and educational process. Through various philosophical theories and articles from the debate surrounding art, the thesis seeks to support the argument that art is crucial to the human development process, based on the educational effect art has on human beings due to the correlation between aesthetics and morals. The arguments are meant to philosophically support videogame theory from primarily Tavinor and secondarily Webber & Griliopoulos.
Through the analysis of several arguments, both for and against videogames being granted official art status and the potential financial support from the government which follows, this thesis seeks to examine potential criteria which could be used to determine the validity of videogames as art. This includes a look at the qualities of more traditional art forms and viewing videogames through these criteria to find supportive precedence, among other things; as the idea of art as an aesthetic educational tool.
This thesis concludes that the critique of videogames and their place in art, and the opposition to their official acceptance and subsequent financial support, can only be disputed if more research is done into the areas of videogame violence and if an age restriction system is applicated (while acknowledging the moral influence of art). Videogames can be construed as a next step in using art forms to educate, especially with the interactive element, which could be an even more efficient means of communicating art and evoking moral development.
The governmental accept and support of videogames, by Statens Kunstfond, as an artform can be defended by looking at the idea that videogames do in fact seek to educate the Danish people in an optimal manner, by teaching skills and virtues through the process of engaging its audience in a way which is unique and not achievable in a same manner by the current officially accepted artforms.