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List of video games in the Museum of Modern Art

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Thirty-five video games and one game console have been acquired by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), located in New York City, as part of its permanent collection. Acquisitions of these titles began in 2012, with games being selected for the interaction design elements within them. The Museum of Modern Art's video game collection was first showcased in the 2013–2014 exhibition Applied Design in the Philip Johnson Architecture and Design Galleries, curated by Paola Antonelli. Since then, video games have been featured in several of MoMA's design exhibitions.

Background

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In 2006, the Museum of Modern Art began a movement to include forms of contemporary design beyond traditional media, starting with acquiring digital fonts and later moving on to video games.[1] While institutions such as the Smithsonian American Art Museum have displayed video games in exhibitions, the MoMA was one of the first art museums to acquire them for its own permanent collection, a process which requires obtaining the legal rights to indefinitely emulate and exhibit the games from their developers and publishers.[2] Prior to the start of MoMA's video game collection, the MoMA also had exhibited a limited number of video games in its design galleries; some of these titles would go on to be acquired by the museum, namely Dwarf Fortress, Passage, and Katamari Damacy.[3][4][5]

The MoMA initially set criteria for video games to determine their eligibility for being added to their permanent collection, primarily considering four central interaction design traits: behavior, aesthetics, space, and time.[6] An additional significant requirement was "no gratuitous violence",[7] resulting in the exclusion of popular or landmark video games such as the Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead series.[8][9][10] Though the MoMA is interested in acquiring a game's hardware and interface, the proprietary source code is considered the most valued. According to Antonelli, "when we cannot acquire the code, we acquire simulations, emulations, the cartridge, the hardware. But what we're interested in showing is the interaction by itself."[11] As a result, notable missing titles from MoMA's collection include unemulatable video games on obsolete hardware such as Spacewar!, abandonware with missing source code or unknown legal rights such as Zork, and games from developers the MoMA has been unable to reach an agreement with such as Nintendo's Donkey Kong and Super Mario Bros.[12][13]

History

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The Museum of Modern Art acquired what could be considered its first video game on October 8, 2008: Feng Mengbo's Long March: Restart (2008),[12][14] an homage to side-scrolling video games from the 1980s which depicts the Long March during the Chinese Civil War. In exhibitions, the interactive installation is displayed on a digital wall spanning 80 feet long and uses a wireless game controller for visitors to play.[15] However, Long March: Restart was created as an art exhibition piece, unlike the titles in MoMA's video game collection.[16]

In November 2012, the MoMA announced the acquisitions of their first fourteen video game titles, with plans to expand the collection to up to forty games over time.[6][17] The announcement stirred up controversy, as some critics argued video games are not considered art and therefore might not have a place in an art gallery.[18][19] The initial line-up of video games was featured in the 2013–2014 exhibition Applied Design.[20]

A screen on a plain gray wall displaying Pac-Man, with a simple joystick and pair of headphones beneath it
Pac-Man is placed near the elevator exit, as it was assumed to be one of the most popular games on display.[21]

The exhibit, curated by Paola Antonelli, is modeled after Philip Johnson’s 1934 exhibition Machine Art, in which pieces of machinery such as propeller blades were displayed in a minimalist fashion to lay focus on their mechanical design. This set-up would create a "strange distance, this shock, that made people realize how gorgeous formally, and also important functionally, design pieces were," which, according to Antonelli, is the desired effect of the exhibition.[8] In order to minimize factors such as nostalgia, video games were displayed in a minimalist fashion where only a screen and controlling-device were visible on an otherwise blank wall.[22] The MoMA also took cautious care of traffic flow within the exhibit, placing games that were likely to be heavily played (such as Pac-Man) near entrances and exits. In addition, games that would require a larger amount of time to play either had a shortened demo version developed for them or were displayed via screenshots or video montages.[1][23] The principles of this exhibition set-up would be used in future MoMA exhibitions featuring video games.[2]

The acquisition of six more video games, as well as a video game console, was announced in June 2013.[24] These additions leaned heavily towards the classic era of arcade machines and 8-bit consoles, during which developers pioneered design principles that built the foundation of modern video games. According to MoMA collection specialist Paul Galloway, many early, "seemingly simple games remain as vital and compelling today as they were" during the 1970s and 80s. Ralph H. Baer's Magnavox Odyssey console was added due to its role as the first commercial home video game console as well as being considered both "a masterpiece of engineering and industrial design".[25]

Three additional titles were added to MoMA's collection in the following years, including Biophilia, the MoMA's first acquired mobile app.[26][27] Furthermore, video games were featured in two more of MoMA's exhibitions: A Collection of Ideas (2014–2015) and This Is for Everyone (2015–2016).[28][29]

In 2021, an additional twelve video games were acquired, primarily consisting of recent indie games created by individuals or small development teams.[30] The entirety of MoMA's video game collection was included in the 2022–2023 exhibition Never Alone, which also marked ten years since the MoMA began acquiring video games.[13]

Collection

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Collection
Date acquired [14] Title Developer Platform Year Notes Ref.
June 7, 2012 Another World Delphine Software International Various 1991 [17][6]
Eve Online CCP Games PC 2003 The massively multiplayer online video game is installed as a "day in the universe" of the game. Additionally, MoMA offers data of the virtual economy that has developed within Eve Online since its release in 2003 via a video presentation.[31]
Portal Valve Various 2007
SimCity 2000 Maxis Various 1993 Due to the game's complexity, a visual demo is prepared,[21] and screenshots of the game are displayed on a floor-to-ceiling, multi-column mural.[22]
The Sims Maxis Various 2000 Available only as a video demonstration[32]
Tetris Alexey Pajitnov Various 1984 MoMA's copy of Tetris runs on an Apple computer mimicking the specific Soviet-era computer it was designed for in 1985.[33]
Vib-Ribbon NanaOn-Sha PlayStation 1999
October 15, 2012 Canabalt Adam Saltsman Mobile 2009
Dwarf Fortress Tarn Adams PC 2006 Originally part of MoMA's Talk to Me: Design and the Communication between People and Objects exhibit (July 29, 2011–November 7, 2011).[3][34] Each time a new version of Dwarf Fortress is made available, MoMA instantly downloads and archives the version in its secure servers. The complex game is available to visitors as a "cinematic trailer".[33]
Flow Thatgamecompany PlayStation 3 2007
Katamari Damacy Namco PlayStation 2 2004 Originally part of MoMA's Century of the Child: Growing by Design, 1900–2000 exhibit (July 29–November 5, 2012).[5][35]
Myst Cyan Worlds Various 1993 Available only as a video demonstration[32]
Pac-Man Namco Arcade 1980
November 29, 2012[a] Passage Jason Rohrer PC 2007 Originally part of MoMA's Talk to Me: Design and the Communication between People and Objects exhibit (July 29–November 7, 2011).[4][36][34]
June 3, 2013 Asteroids Atari Arcade 1979 [24]
Magnavox Odyssey Ralph Baer N/a 1972 First generation home video game console[25]
Minecraft Mojang Studios PC 2011
Pong Atari Arcade 1972
Space Invaders Taito Arcade 1978
Tempest Atari Arcade 1981
Yars' Revenge Atari Atari 2600 1982
November 11, 2013 Street Fighter II Capcom Arcade 1991 MoMA's copy of Street Fighter II is Hyper Street Fighter II (2003). [37]
May 19, 2014 Biophilia Second Wind Ltd Apps, RelativeWave Mobile 2011 MoMA's first acquired mobile app[26][27] [38]
October 19, 2015 Snake Nokia Various 1997 [39]
April 26, 2021 Everything is Going to Be OK Nathalie Lawhead PC 2017 [40]
Flower Thatgamecompany PlayStation 3 2009 [41]
Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy Bennett Foddy PC 2017 [42]
Inside Playdead Various 2016 [43]
Journey Thatgamecompany PlayStation 3 2012 [44]
Monument Valley Ustwo Mobile 2014 [45]
NetHack The Nethack DevTeam PC 1987 [46]
Never Alone E-Line Media Various 2014 [47]
Papers, Please Lucas Pope PC 2013 [48]
Return of the Obra Dinn Lucas Pope PC 2018 [49]
The Stanley Parable Davey Wreden PC 2011 [50]
This War of Mine 11 Bit Studios PC 2014 [51]

Exhibitions

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  • Applied Design (March 2, 2013 to January 20, 2014)[20]
  • A Collection of Ideas (February 15, 2014 to January 11, 2015)[52]
  • This Is for Everyone: Design Experiments for the Common Good (February 14, 2015 to January 18, 2016)[29]
  • Never Alone: Video Games and Other Interactive Design (September 10, 2022 to July 16, 2023)[53]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ↑ Exact date acquired is unknown

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 Indvik, Lauren (February 28, 2013). "MoMA Exhibit to Feature 'Pac-Man' and 13 Other Video Game Classics". Mashable. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015.
  2. 1 2 Lucas, Julian (June 30, 2023). "The Puzzle of Putting Video Games in a Museum". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Archived from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
  3. 1 2 "MoMA | Talk to Me | Dwarf Fortress". Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  4. 1 2 "MoMA | Talk to Me | Passage". Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  5. 1 2 Grubb, Jeff (July 30, 2012). "Katamari Damacy is arty enough for the New York Museum of Modern Art". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on October 19, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 Anttonelli, Paola (November 29, 2012). "Video Games: 14 in the Collection, for Starters". Museum of Modern Art. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015.
  7. ↑ Antonelli, Paola (May 2013). "Why I brought Pac-Man to MoMA". TED. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
  8. 1 2 Moore, Bo (May 30, 2013). "'All Hell Broke Loose': Why MoMA Is Exhibiting Tetris and Pac-Man". Wired. Archived from the original on February 14, 2026. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
  9. ↑ Mulkerin, Tim (February 22, 2016). "The State of Games at MoMA 4 Years Later (Part One)". The A.V. Club. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  10. ↑ Block, India (November 7, 2022). "Playing Together". Disegno Journal. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
  11. ↑ Wernick, Adam (December 15, 2014). "The Museum of Modern Art embraces all aspects of digital culture and design". Public Radio International. Archived from the original on September 11, 2015.
  12. 1 2 Aguasviva, Luis (November 2, 2022). "Video games invade the art world in MoMA's Never Alone exhibition". Ars Technica. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  13. 1 2 Wille, Matt (September 13, 2022). "At MoMA, video games get their own stage". Inverse. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  14. 1 2 MoMACollection (May 19, 2026). "collection/Artworks.csv at main · MuseumofModernArt/collection". GitHub. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Selected works from the exhibition: Feng Mengbo (Chinese, b. 1966). Long March: Restart. 2008 | MoMA". The Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
  16. ↑ Sandfort, Katelyn (February 4, 2010). "MoMA | New Acquisition: Feng Mengbo's Long March: Restart". The Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
  17. 1 2 "MoMA Acquires 14 Video Games for Architecture and Design Collection". MoMAPRESS. December 2, 2012. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  18. ↑ Jones, Jonathan (November 30, 2012). "Sorry MoMA, video games are not art". The Guardian. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015.
  19. ↑ Leibovitz, Leil (March 13, 2013). "MoMA Has Mistaken Video Games for Art". The New Republic. ISSN 0028-6583. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  20. 1 2 "Applied Design". Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  21. 1 2 Indvik, Lauren (March 1, 2013). "Inside MoMA's Classic Video Games Exhibit". Mashable. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015.
  22. 1 2 Milot, Stephanie (March 2, 2013). "MoMA Exhibit Showcases Video Games as Modern Art". PC Magazine. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
  23. ↑ Holpuch, Amanda (March 1, 2013). "Video games level up in the art world with new MoMA exhibition". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
  24. 1 2 Galloway, Paul (June 23, 2013). "Video Games: Seven More Building Blocks in MoMA's Collection". Museum of Modern Art. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015.
  25. 1 2 Campbell, Colin (June 28, 2013). "MoMA adds Magnavox Odyssey and six classics to game design exhibit". Polygon. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015.
  26. 1 2 Wollman, Dana (June 13, 2014). "Bjork's interactive 'Biophilia' album is the first downloadable app in MoMA's permanent collection". Engadget. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
  27. 1 2 Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (June 12, 2014). "Bjork's Biophilia becomes first app in New York's Museum of Modern Art". The Guardian. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  28. ↑ Kastrenakes, Jacob (February 17, 2014). "The art arcade: MoMA collects 40 years of innovative design". The Verge. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  29. 1 2 "This Is for Everyone: Design Experiments for the Common Good". Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  30. ↑ Rowe, Willa (September 9, 2022). "Not even the Museum of Modern Art can fix gaming's preservation crisis". Inverse. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  31. ↑ Takahashi, Dean (May 12, 2015). "Eve Online exhibit to become a permanent fixture at New York's Museum of Modern Art". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015.
  32. 1 2 Suellentrop, Chris (March 3, 2013). "A Museum's Games Are Not on Pedestals". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 29, 2019. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
  33. 1 2 Hall, Charlie (August 6, 2014). "Dwarf Fortress is changing how the MOMA preserves art". Polygon. Archived from the original on October 19, 2015.
  34. 1 2 "Talk to Me: Design and the Communication between People and Objects". The Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  35. ↑ "Century of the Child: Growing by Design, 1900–2000 | MoMA". Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  36. ↑ "Museum of Modern Art exhibit "Talk to Me: Design and the Communication between People and Objects"". ISPR. July 28, 2011. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  37. ↑ "Yoshiki Okamoto, Akira Yasuda. Hyper Street Fighter II: The Anniversary Edition. 1991 (this edition 2003)". Museum of Modern Art. 2013. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  38. ↑ Antonelli, Paola (June 11, 2014). "Biophilia, the First App in MoMA's Collection". Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
  39. ↑ "Taneli Armanto. Snake. 1997". Museum of Modern Art. 2015. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  40. ↑ "Nathalie Lawhead. Everything is Going to be OK. 2017". Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  41. ↑ "Jenova (Xinghan) Chen. Flower. 2009". Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  42. ↑ "Bennett Foddy. Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy. 2017". Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  43. ↑ "Playdead, Arnt Jensen. Inside. 2016". Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  44. ↑ "Jenova (Xinghan) Chen. Journey. 2012". Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  45. ↑ "ustwo games. Monument Valley. 2014". Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  46. ↑ Stanton, Rich (June 27, 2022). "Nethack is now in the Museum of Modern Art". PC Gamer. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
  47. ↑ "E-Line Media, Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc, Ishmael (Angaluuk) Hope. Never Alone (Kisima Inŋitchuŋa). 2014". Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  48. ↑ "Lucas Pope. Papers Please. 2013". Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  49. ↑ "Lucas Pope. Return of the Obra Dinn. 2018". Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  50. ↑ "Davey Wreden. The Stanley Parable. 2011–2013". Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  51. ↑ Benfell, Grace (February 7, 2023). "This War Of Mine Joins Permanent Video Game Collection At Museum of Modern Art". GameSpot. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  52. ↑ "A Collection of Ideas". Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  53. ↑ "Never Alone: Video Games and Other Interactive Design". Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved May 25, 2026.

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