Close
Research
Subject
Towards a Ludic Interpretation of Cities and Architecture: Transposing Protests into Allegorical Worlds in Video Game
First and second supervisors
Abstract
Mass protests, such as the 2011 Occupy London or the 2013 EuroMaidan, witnessed demonstrators engaging in exuberant forms of play and expression that challenged government policies, exposed institutional injustices, and fostered critical political discourse.
Interactive street art transformed the canvas of public spaces in cities, including squares, sidewalks, and transit terminals into carnivalesque environments, enabling citizens to freely express their political ideas and explore alternative social structures. This thesis explores how architectural and spatial strategies deployed in protests establish ludic domains of socio-political expression in support of citizens' freedoms and human rights. Examining case studies of real-world protests, the study probes architectural spaces, devices and behaviours capable of generating political satires and subversive narratives. Using selected case studies from around the world, key protest venues and their architectural representation are examined to shed light on how citizens leverage urban spaces to orchestrate lusory interactions and theatrical effects. Experimenting with video games as an interactive storytelling apparatus, the research attempts to capture and reinvent protests beyond the physical realm. Leveraging ludic strategies developed through video game, the design thesis aims to inspire creative responses to oppressive governance; cultivate artistic methodologies for confronting power; and further the political imagination of people through allegorical transpositions of real-world protests into the video game world.
Biography
Mike’s scholarship converges at the intersection between architecture and video game design. A recipient of the LAHP scholarship, Mike holds a Master of Design Studies degree from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design as a HK Jockey Club fellow. Additionally, Mike holds a Master of Architecture degree from HKU.
A qualified architect, Mike seamlessly blends architecture, urban histories, and video game design. Drawing from substantial experience in working in video game engines, he has cultivated methodologies that leverage the interactive medium to explore innovative solutions to architectural and social challenges. His research probes the potential of spatial narratives, film, VFX, and video games for storytelling, meaning-making and diverse forms of cultural productions.
Apart from his research, Mike co-teaches on the Design for Performance & Interaction MArch programme at UCL Here East. He also teaches UAL Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production & Technology and OCR Level 3 Cambridge Technical in video game design.
Funding
- London Arts and Humanities Partnership Studentship
Image: 'Toy Store Sentience: A metaphorical transposition of a totalitarian state', Mike Kwok.