DAMA Course:
META-GAME Workshop
April 14-19.04.2025
Organiser: Tallinn, EKA
Venue of the workshop: RARA
“There is more art in what the gamer does from the games than in the game itself. Art is
relevant when it breaks the conventional, when it breaks the rules, when it is an act of
resistance.” –Kevan Brighting
When Roger Caillois is publishing in 1961 the book Man, Play and Games, he was defining a game classification following 4 categories, Agon, Alea, Mimicry and Ilnix and he didn’t know something called “Tennis for Two” (later PONG) was slowly emerging. So what? In collaboration with the Estonian Videogame Museum, students will discover the history of videogames from a different perspective. They will experiment with different aspects of interactive design innovations from the 70’s to nowadays. They will have the opportunity to explore the Papertronics invention and building their own games with the Micro Games Factory. After exhibiting their drawings, they will organise the Papertronics Awards. A jury will reward the best games made in different categories established specifically for the event.
Making a buffet
Building the awards
Finding the categories
Streaming the events
Finding the music for the event
Solving technical aspect of it
Making a trailer
Students will have the occasion to discover how videogames are influencing contemporary art practices, discussing the borders between videogames industry and experimental art.
How it can become a medium to reflect or to influence what we do. The workshop is taking place at the National Library of Estonia and at the Estonian Academy of Arts.

Practicalities (time, duration, number of participants, level/target group):
Availability of places for DAMA applicants: 10
Level: Beginners (BA and MA)
Accommodation options:
there are hostels in the centre of Tallinn, e.g https://16eur.ee/fat-margarets/

Application procedure
Students should send a short letter of motivation/a small portfolio of few selected works to
camille.laurelli@artun.ee
Deadline (for motivation letters/portfolios)
March 01, 2024
Grant info
Check out and fill application from https://www.damanetwork.info/grant. Students (outside of
Estonia) participating in workshop will receive Nordplus travel grant 330 (660 from/to
Iceland) and board 250 eur/week. The grant will be paid to your home institution’s account and they will pay it on your account.
More info from Sandra Mell: sandra.mell@artun.ee
Workshop supervisor:
Camille Laurelli (1981) is an intermedia artist combining mainly video, photography,
performance, sculpture and curation in his work. His work is often confusing, misleading,
based on failure, pirated and provoked misunderstandings, hence it often leaves the art field,
and even his mother, confused. He is interested in the practice of collecting, sometimes
turning his collection of objects or found images into a serial work. An important part of his
practice is working with other artists and self-run spaces.
More information:
sten.saarits@artun.ee