GAME ISLAND | ELOÏSE BONNEVIOT & ANNE DE BOER

Will there be a future for the inhabitants of Earth, despite the hostile conditions caused by the ongoing climate change? Are different forms of life capable of evolving and surviving, or will the planet become uninhabitable for its own species? This is the premise of Game Island, the starting question from which Eloïse Bonneviot and Anne de Boer have created this performance that functions as a role-playing game.

The language of games has always provided fertile ground for the exploration of complex current themes. This project offers a fresh perspective on the pressing issue of climate change through an immersive experience that compels participants to deeply reflect on the imminent reality and the survival of individuals in a rapidly evolving world.

A key tool of Game Island is tokens, made in different colors and marked with different symbols, they are associated with natural elements: water, earth, fire, air, and void. Scattered across the entire playing field, these tokens are resources to be collected to define one’s own character. Participants are limited to a maximum of 15 players per session, creating an intimate and engaging atmosphere in which each participant has their own space and can fully immerse themselves in the experience.

The journey in Game Island begins with a resource gathering session. Each element collected during this phase becomes the foundation for the development of one’s character.
Once the resource collection is completed, the real challenge begins: players have to face many stages of the game, ranging from natural disasters to environmental crises. They must interact with other players to form alliances between different species, find the right solution each time, and thereby achieve evolution (or survival?). Game Island encourages exploration of the diverse perspectives of life on Earth and urges us to consider how every living being – be it a human, a simple molecule, or even a bacterium – is interconnected and influenced by choices and behaviors, regardless of the form of life it represents.
In an increasingly interconnected world, everyone’s actions have a lasting impact on the well-being of all and the planet. Game Island encourages us to reflect on our role in this game of life.

Eloïse Bonneviot & Anne de Boer
Game Island, 2021
Fabric dyed with organic matter, character building sheets, dice, playing cards, foraging bags, elemental tokens, audio. Dimensions variable. Photography: Silke Briel. Courtesy of the artists ©

30/08/2023