TAG Bucharest (The Art of the Game) – cultural project carried out by ARCUB – the Cultural Center of Bucharest, with the support of the Bucharest City Hall, offers the public a relevant and current foray into the intersection of art and video games. Under the banner of “Art meets gaming”, the ARCUB exhibition builds an interactive journey through the universe of gaming and related arts, highlighting both the creative, conceptual and technological dimensions of this field.
Conceived by UNICAT, the exhibition brings together the contributions and expertise of relevant partners from the cultural, educational and creative industry areas: RIZI, Pisica Pătrată Collection, Otaku Collection, Red Goblin, 11 bit studios, Stoneskip Studio, UVT Arte – West University of Timișoara, as well as the Video Games Museum in Reșița.
The English-language Master's Program Game Art (MGA) within the Faculty of Arts and Design in Timișoara benefited from a dedicated area for exhibition and promotion within the exhibition, the conceptual works of the students and coordinating teaching staff enjoying a special appreciation from the public and specialists. The coordination of the event on behalf of the Faculty of Arts and Design was ensured by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alexandru Bunii and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sergiu Zegrean, and the exhibited works were carried out under the coordination of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alexandru Bunii, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sergiu Zegrean, Asst. Prof. Dr. Alin Grangure and Asst. Prof. Dr. Maria Moga. The following students were selected for the exhibition: Adina Roșca, Timeea Dragomir, Timea Pap, Tudor Predescu, Sabrina Popescu, Darius Agha, Diana Cocora, Tatiana Chira, Laura Contra, Daniel Vraciu, Vladimir Stancovici, Laura Rotaru, Cristiana Iordache, Carla Caracoancia, along with graduates Manuel Pocioian and Flavia Velcsov.
In a public and media context in which Romanian education is often perceived as rigid, inefficient or lacking in performance, this presence demonstrates another reality: that of an institution capable of adapting and performing. In the last decade, in areas such as product design, jewelry and environmental design, students of the Faculty of Arts and Design in Timisoara have obtained international awards and distinctions in competitions held in the USA, Hong Kong, South Korea, Italy, Germany or Sweden.
Adaptability was also naturally manifested by responding to the needs expressed by students. Requests for courses dedicated to the area of concept and gaming led to the introduction of optional courses such as digital sculpture and concept art, attended by students in the second and third years of the bachelor's degree, from all three design routes. The natural evolution of this approach led to the development of a distinct program, the choice of the master's degree being a pragmatic one: a more flexible legislative framework, clearly defined competencies and a substantial practical component.
Why Game Art? Because this program aims to open up a new horizon of creative exploration to master students, to challenge them to go beyond their comfort zone and cultivate their talent towards the courageous imagination of conceptual art. The emphasis is not only on visual and aesthetic expressiveness, but also on flexibility, technical understanding and functionality.
The Master in Game Art would not have been possible without the support of RGDA (Romanian Game Developers Association), which provided trust, assistance and connection with essential industry partners, especially AMC Studio. Through Georgiana Toea (EDU & Comms Manager at AMC Studio Bucharest) – the direct link with the gaming environment – the program managed to integrate the real requirements and expectations of the industry.
https://arcub.ro/eveniment/the-art-of-the-game; https://arcub.ro/proiect/tag-edu
Associate Professor Alexandru Bunii, PhD
