Does the Museum of Modern Art Include Video Games?

Art|Art Museum

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City has long been a bastion of modern and contemporary art. With a collection of over 150,000 pieces, it houses some of the most renowned works from all over the world. So it is only natural to ask: does the Museum of Modern Art include video games?

The answer is yes. MoMA has been collecting video games since 2012, when it acquired 14 titles for its permanent collection.

These titles include arcade classics like Pac-Man and Space Invaders, as well as more recent releases like Minecraft and Portal. Since then, MoMA has continued to add to its collection—as recently as 2017, the museum acquired two additional titles: The Sims and Katamari Damacy.

The museum’s inclusion of video games is part of a larger effort to recognize the impact that digital media has had on our culture and society. It also serves as an acknowledgement that video games are more than just entertainment; they are creative works deserving of study and appreciation. As Paola Antonelli, senior curator at MoMA, said in a statement: “Video games represent a significant increase in complexity over earlier media… They incorporate so many different tools—visuals, narrative elements, interactivity—that they’ve become capable of expressing thought-provoking experiences.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the Museum of Modern Art does include video games in its permanent collection. This is part of an effort to recognize the impact that digital media has had on our culture and society. As such, it serves as an acknowledgement that video games are more than just entertainment; they are creative works deserving of study and appreciation.