From Mods to Museums: An Introduction to Game Art: - Video Games as Contemporary Artistic Practice

In the 1990s, video games and contemporary art collided in surprising and creative ways. Popular first-person shooters like Doom, Quake, and Wolfenstein 3D became more than entertainment-they became spaces for experimentation, critique, and artistic expression. Through "art mods," artists transformed these digital worlds into interactive artworks: players could explore virtual museums, rearrange or destroy exhibits, or navigate abstract, glitchy landscapes that challenged the rules of both games and daily life. The book also explores performances in online worlds, anti-war games, and other innovative forms of game art, showing how artists have used games to confront social and political issues, from militarism to human displacement. Art Mods in the 1990s tells the story of these pioneering works, revealing a hidden chapter of digital culture where play, creativity, and activism intersected-and where video games became a powerful new canvas for artistic expression.