Pippin Barr, About, Games, Books, Podcast, Video,

Pippin Barr, PhD

Associate Professor
Department of Design and Computation Arts
Concordia University
Montréal, Canada

Contact

Basic information

Relevant Employment History

Associate Professor (June 2021 – present)
Department of Design and Computation Arts
Concordia University
Montréal, Canada

Assistant Professor (August 2016 – May 2021)
Department of Design and Computation Arts
Concordia University
Montréal, Canada

Scholar-in-residence (August 2015 – July 2016)
Department of Design and Computation Arts
Concordia University
Montréal, Canada

Visiting Senior Lecturer (September 2013 – present)
Institute of Digital Games
University of Malta
Msida, Malta

Visiting Game Designer (September 2012 – September 2013)
Institute of Digital Games
University of Malta
Msida, Malta

Game Designer in Residence (May 2013 – June 2013)
Department of Design and Computation Arts
Faculty of Fine Arts
Concordia University
Montréal, Canada

External Supervisor (September 2012 – February 2013)
Center for Computer Games Research IT University of Copenhagen Copenhagen, Denmark

External Lecturer and Visiting Researcher (September 2009 – September 2012)
Center for Computer Games Research IT University of Copenhagen Copenhagen, Denmark

Academic background

Ph.D., Computer Science (2004 – 2008)
Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

My Ph.D. dissertation, Video Game Values: Play as Human-Computer Interaction involved the close analysis of video games in order to develop a model for thinking about them within Human-Computer Interaction. Specifically, my dissertation presented a model of videogame play as a distinctive form of interaction with video game software through the lens of human values and value systems.

M.Sc. (distinction), Computer Science (2002 – 2003)
Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

My M.Sc. dissertation, User Interface Metaphors in Theory and Practice presented an in-depth study of user-interface metaphor from the perspective of Human-Computer Interaction. This involved the development of a taxonomy based on the work of Lakoff and Johnson in Metaphors We Live By, as well as a semiotic model of user-interface metaphor.

BA (honours), Philosophy and Computer Science (1997 – 2002)
Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

My undergraduate and honours degrees were in both Philosophy and Computer Science. The degrees involved a focus on Human-Computer Interaction, but included a substantial software engineering component and some artificial intelligence, along with metaphysics, the philosophy of religion, and ethics.

Publications

Books

  1. Barr, P. The Stuff Games Are Made Of. The MIT Press. 2023.
  2. Lessard, J. and Barr, P. Les grands classiques de l’épouvante en mots cachés. Les Éditions Goélette. 2021.
  3. Barr, P. How to Play a Video Game. Awa Press, 2011.

Research publications (refereed)

Journals

  1. Khaled, R. and Barr, P. (2023) Generative Logics and Conceptual Clicks: A Case Study of the Method for Design Materialization. Design Issues, 39(1), 55–69. https://doi.org/10.1162/desi_a_00706
  2. Barr, P. Film Adaptation as Experimental Game Design. Arts 9:4. 2020. https://doi.org/10.3390/arts9040103
  3. Barr, P. Permadeath: Speedrun. Well Played Journal, 6:1, 2017.
  4. Barr, P. Critical Jostling: Jostle Bastard and Jostle Parent as Critical Reflective Practice. GAME: The Italian Journal of Game Studies. No.5. 2016.
  5. Barr, P., Biddle, R., and Noble, J. Videogame Values: Human-Computer Interaction and Games. Interacting with Computers, 19:2 (Special issue on HCI Issues in Computer Games), pp.180-195. 2007.

Conference Proceedings

  1. Khaled, R., Lessard, J., and Barr, P. Documenting Trajectories in Design Space: A Methodology for Applied Game Design Research. In the Proceedings of Foundations of Digital Games (FDG) 2018. 2018.
  2. Khaled, R., Nelson, M., and Barr, P. Design Metaphors for Procedural Content Generation in Games (full paper). In the Proceedings of CHI ‘13, 2013.
  3. Khaled, R., Barr, P., Greenspan, B., and Biddle, R. StoryTrek: Experiencing Stories in the Real World (full paper). In the Proceedings of MindTrek ‘11, 2011.
  4. Khaled, R. and Barr, P. Survive Together, Buy Alone: A Case Study of Divergent Values in Two Games. DiGRA 2011, 2011.
  5. Khaled, R., Barr, P., Greenspan, B., and Biddle, R. StoryTrek: Persuasion in the Real World, in Extended Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Persuasive Technology (Persuasive 2010), 2010.
  6. Khaled, R., Barr, P., Biddle, R., Noble, J., and Fischer, R. Game Design Strategies for Collectivist Persuasion, In the Proceedings of the 36th International Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques, SIGGRAPH’09, 2009.
  7. Khaled, R., Barr, P., Johnston, H., Biddle, R., Let’s Clean Up This Mess: Exploring Multi-Touch Collaborative Play, In the Proceedings of the 27th International Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI’09, 2009.
  8. Khaled, R., Barr, P., Biddle, R., Noble, J., and Fischer, R. Fine-tuning the Persuasion in Persuasive Games, In the Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Persuasive Technology for Human Well-Being, PERSUASIVE 2007, 2007.
  9. Barr, P., Khaled, R., Biddle, R., and Noble, J. Playing the Interface: A Case Study of Grand Theft Auto (short paper). In Proceedings of OzCHI 2006: the Annual Conference for the Computer-Human Interaction Special Interest Group of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of Australia, 2006. (OzCHI/2006)
  10. Khaled, R., Barr, P., Fischer, R., Biddle, R., Noble, J. Factoring Culture into the Design of a Persuasive Game. In the Proceedings of OzCHI 2006, the Annual Conference of the Australian Computer-Human Interaction Special Interest Group
  11. Barr, P., Khaled, R., Biddle, R., and Noble, J. Get Out Of My Way!: Exploring Obstruction in Popular Games in Proceedings of Future Play, 2006.
  12. Barr, P., Brown, J., Biddle, R., Khaled, R., and Noble, J. Changing the Virtual Self: The Avatar Transformation Activity in Popular Games. In Proceedings of the Joint International Conference on CyberGames and Interactive Entertainment, 2006. (Won a best paper award)
  13. Dormann, C., Barr, P., and Biddle, R. Humour Theory and Videogames: Laughter in the Slaughter in Proceedings of Sandbox Symposium, 2006 (ACM Videogame Symposium) (Included in the Top 10 Research Findings presentation at the Game Developers Conference, 2007)
  14. Barr, P., Khaled, R., Noble, J., and Biddle, R. “Well-Being to Well Done!”: The Development Cycle in Role-Playing Games, in Proceedings of the First International Conference on Persuasive Technology for Human Well-Being, 2006.
  15. Barr, P., Khaled, R., Noble, J., and Biddle, R. Feeling Strangely Fine: The Well-Being Economy in Popular Games, in Proceedings of First International Conference on Persuasive Technology for Human Well-Being, 2006.
  16. Khaled, R., Barr, P., Noble, J., Fischer, R., and Biddle, R. Our Place or Mine?: Exploration into Collectivism-Focused Persuasive Technology Design, in Proceedings of the First International Conference on Persuasive Technology for Human Well-Being (Persuasive06), 2006.
  17. Khaled, R., Barr, P., Noble, J., and Biddle, R. Investigating Social Software as Persuasive Technology, in Proceedings of the First International Conference on Persuasive Technology for Human Well-Being (Persuasive06), 2006.
  18. Barr, P., Noble, J., Biddle, R., Khaled, R. From Pushing Buttons to Play and Progress: Value and Interaction in Fable, In Proceedings of the Seventh Australasian User Interface Conference, 2006.
  19. Khaled, R., Biddle, R., Noble, J., Barr, P., Fischer, R. Persuasive Interaction for Collectivist Cultures, In Proceedings of the Seventh Australasian User Interface Conference, 2006.
  20. Barr, P., Marsen, S., Noble, J., and Biddle, R. Oppositional Play: Gathering Negative Evidence for Computer Game Values, In Proceedings of the Second Australasian Conference on Interactive Entertainment (IE2005), 2005.
  21. Ferreira, J., Barr, P., and Noble, J. The Semiotics of User Interface Redesign, In Proceedings of Sixth Australisian User Interface Conference, 2005.
  22. Barr, P., Khaled, R., Noble, J., and Biddle, R. A taxonomic analysis of user-interface metaphors in the Microsoft Office Project Gallery, In Proceedings of Sixth Australiasian User Interface Conference, 2005.
  23. Khaled, R., Barr, P., Noble, J., Biddle, R., and Marsen, S. Extreme Programming System Metaphor: A Semiotic Approach, presented at The 7th International Workshop on Organisational Semiotics, 2004. (A version of this paper was presented as a workshop paper at ADC2004.)
  24. Duignan, M., Biddle, R., Noble, J., and Barr, P. Metaphors for Electronic Music Production in Live and Reason, Proceedings of 6th Asian Pacific Conference on Computer Human Interaction (APCHI 2004)
  25. Khaled, R., Barr, P., Noble, J., and Biddle, R. Metaphorscape: Patterns for XP System Metaphors, Proceedings of the Ninth European Conference on Pattern Languages of Programs, 2004.
  26. Barr, P., Biddle, R., and Noble, J. Interface Ontology: Creating a Physical World for User-Interfaces, Proceedings of Eighth European Conference on Pattern Languages of Programs, 2003.
  27. Barr, P., Noble, J., and Biddle, R. A Semiotic Model of User-Interface Metaphor, chapter in “Virtual Distributed and Flexible Organisations”. Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2003. [Edited proceedings of the Sixth International Workshop on Organisations Semiotics in Reading, UK.]
  28. Barr, P., Noble, J. and Biddle, R. Icons R Icons, Proceedings of the Fourth Australasian User Interface Conference, 2003.
  29. Barr, P., Biddle, R., and Noble, J. A Taxonomy of User-Interface Metaphors, Proceedings of SIGCHI-NZ Symposium On Computer-Human Interaction, 2002.

Non-technical articles for the general public

  1. Barr, P. Bits and Pieces of Suffering: Creating Ancient Greek Punishments in Bitsy. 15 August 2019. Featured post. https://gamasutra.com/blogs/PippinBarr/20190815/348810/Bits_and_Pieces_of_Suffering_Creating_Ancient_Greek_Punishments_in_Bitsy.php
  2. Barr, P. Let the Punishment Fit the Twine: Ancient Greek Punishments as Hypertexts. Gamasutra. 13 August 2019. Featured post. https://gamasutra.com/blogs/PippinBarr/20190813/348538/Let_the_Punishment_Fit_the_Twine_Ancient_Greek_Punishments_as_Hypertexts.php
  3. Barr, P. From simplicity to complexity and back again: The design and development of Rogess. Gamasutra. 4 June 2019. Featured post. https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/PippinBarr/20190604/343870/From_simplicity_to_complexity_and_back_again_The_design_and_development_of_Rogess.php
  4. Barr, P. Design trajectories in Let’s Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: Chess Edition. Gamasutra. 24 May 2019. Featured post. https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/PippinBarr/20190524/343342/Design_trajectories_in_Lets_Play_Ancient_Greek_Punishment_Chess_Edition.php
  5. Barr, P. What Would Mavis Beacon Do? Punish You. Gamasutra. 17 March 2019. Featured post. https://gamasutra.com/blogs/PippinBarr/20190517/342843/What_Would_Mavis_Beacon_Do_Punish_You.php
  6. Barr, P. The unusable usability of ancient Greek punishments. Gamasutra. 25 February 2019. Featured post. http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/PippinBarr/20190225/337327/The_unusable_usability_of_ancient_Greek_punishments.php
  7. Barr, P. Hail to the King: Amulets and Checkmates and Chogue, oh my!. Gamasutra. 22 June 2018. Featured post. http://gamasutra.com/blogs/PippinBarr/20180622/320522/Hail_to_the_King_Amulets_and_Checkmates_and_Chogue_oh_my.php
  8. Barr, P. Penis problems: Designing the erotic user-interface of It is as if you were making love. Gamasutra. 18 June 2018. Featured post. http://gamasutra.com/blogs/PippinBarr/20180618/320128/Penis_problems_Designing_the_erotic_userinterface_of_It_is_as_if_you_were_making_love.php
  9. Barr, P. Chess + Rogue = Chogue: Some notes on hybrid game design. Gamasutra. 12 June 2018. Featured post. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/chess-rogue-chogue-some-notes-on-hybrid-game-design
  10. Barr, P. It’s not what it looks like: Windows aesthetics for a speculative sex game. Gamasutra. 7 June 2018. Featured post. http://gamasutra.com/blogs/PippinBarr/20180607/319572/Its_not_what_it_looks_like_Windows_aesthetics_for_a_speculative_sex_game.php
  11. Barr, P. Making Worlds in Yellowknife. Gamasutra. 6 June 2018. Featured post. https://gamasutra.com/blogs/PippinBarr/20180606/319345/Making_Worlds_in_Yellowknife.php
  12. Barr, P. b r 1: Notes on Translating from Unity to Bitsy. Gamasutra. 24 May 2018. Featured post. https://gamasutra.com/blogs/PippinBarr/20180524/318692/b_r_1_Notes_on_Translating_from_Unity_to_Bitsy.php
  13. Barr, P. Translation studies, some notes on a semi-formal design approach. Gamasutra. 10 May 2018. Featured post. http://gamasutra.com/blogs/PippinBarr/20180510/317920/Translation_studies_some_notes_on_a_semiformal_design_approach.php

Invited publications

  1. Barr, P. (2023) Curate Your Own Artgame. In Nathalie Bachand and Lynn Hughes (Eds.), ART X GAME = JEU X ART =., Éditions OQP.
  2. Barr, P. Consider the Gunshot. Chapter in Videogames: Design/Play/Disrupt. V&A Museum. 2018.
  3. Barr, P. Playing It Is As If: A Perspective. Peabody Essex Museum Website. 24 November 2017. http://playtime.pem.org/playing-it-is-as-if-a-perspective/
  4. Barr, P. Hurt You So. Kill Screen. 30 February 2012. http://killscreendaily.com/articles/hurt-you-so/
  5. Barr, P. Curious Games. ZEHAR no.69. 38–45. 2011.

Presentations

Keynotes and invited talks

  1. Barr, P. In Praise of Shadows: Reflections, Prototypes and Other Traces of Design. Texas A&M, Texas, USA. 23 April 2024.
  2. Barr, P. In Praise of Shadows: Reflections, Prototypes and Other Traces of Design. University of Utah, Utah, USA. 18 April 2024.
  3. Barr, P. Humor, Tragedy, and the Human Condition with Pippin Barr. In conversation with Jamin Warren. Killscreen. 6 December 2023.
  4. Barr, P. See Jack Design. Open for Community, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada. 27 October 2023.
  5. Barr, P. Up Close and Personal: Documenting Design with the Method for Design Materialization. Archive/Counter Archive Archival Aterlier Workshop Series. 4 May 2023. Online.
  6. Barr, P. Office Hours: Browser as a Playground w/ Pippin Barr. Rhizome. 30 March 2023. Online. https://video.rhizome.org/w/vksC4RWqf54epd8voy7BKo
  7. Barr, P. The Seagull and the Taj Mahal. Museums Without Walls Conference, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. 15-17 August 2022.
  8. Barr, P. PLAY-PRODUCTION-ROUTINE. Department of Architecture, ETH Zurich. 11 March 2022. Online.
  9. Barr, P. High-performance Game Design. V-A-C. 22 January 2022. Online.
  10. Barr, P. Artist Talk. Davis Media Arts Intensive. 7 May 2021. Online.
  11. Barr, P. Uncontrolled Experiments. Presentation at Enjmin Game Conference. 14-18 December 2020. Online.
  12. Khaled, R., and Barr, P. Game Design Research and Recoverability. Researching Game-making: Skills, Cultures, and Politics. 7-12 December 2020. Online.
  13. Barr, P. Artist Talk. MacKenzie Livestreams. MacKenzie Art Gallery. Regina, SK, Canada. 11 September 2020.
  14. Uncontrolled Experiments. Whaaat!? festival for games and experimental interactions. ATLAS Institute, University of Colorado Boulder. Boulder, CO, USA. 2018. (Keynote)
  15. Materialising Game Design. Clash of Realities subconference at A MAZE 2018. Berlin, Germany. 2018. (Keynote)
  16. Videogame Materials. The Material Turn. Symposium at Concordia University. Montréal, Canada. 2018.
  17. Less Gameplay,. screenshake2015. Antwerp, Netherlands. 2015.
  18. Minimal Game Design. Institute of Digital Games Global Game Jam workshop. Msida, Malta. 2015.
  19. “Digital” “Art” “Games”. Institute of Digital Games year. Msida, Malta. 2014. (Keynote)
  20. Curious Games. Cologne Game Lab. Cologne University of Applied Sciences. Cologne, Germany. 2014.
  21. The Code is Present. A MAZE / Johannesburg. Johannesburg, South Africa. 2014.
  22. Game. Time. Critical Hit Collaboratory. Montréal, Canada. 2014.
  23. The Game Designer is Present. A MAZE / Berlin. Berlin, Germany. 2014. Time. Pecha Kucha Mdina, Malta. 2014.
  24. Curious Games. Mozilla Festival. London, UK. 2013.
  25. Curious Games. Playful. London, UK. 2013.
  26. Curious Games. A MAZE / Republika. Rijeka, Croatia. July 2013.
  27. Got Curious? Interface 2013, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada. 2013. (Keynote)
  28. Curious Games. Northeast of North Digital Arts Festival. Dundee, Scotland. 2012.
  29. The Artist Is Present. Contemporary Art Forum: Critical Play – The Game as an Art Form, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York City, NY, USA, 2012.
  30. Games Can Never Be Art. Nikolaj Kunsthal artist’s talk. Copenhagen, Denmark. 2012.
  31. Curious Games. JOLASEAN: Computer Games in Contemporary Culture, Tabakalera International Contemporary Culture Centre and Arteleku, San Sebastian, Spain, 2011.
  32. Barr, P. and Khaled R. Cultures in Games and Games in Cultures. CapCHI (Chapter of SIGCHI), Ottawa, Canada. 2009.
  33. Play and Work: Investigating the Role of Value in Human-Computer Interaction. Microsoft Games User Research Group, Redmond, WA, USA, 2005.

Conference presentations

  1. Khaled, R. and Barr, P. A Method for Design Materialization: Accountable Game Design Research. Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA) Conference 2023. Seville, Spain. 19-23 June 2023.
  2. Sicart, M., Simon, B., Khaled, R., Barr, P., Boluk, S., and LeMieux, P. Practice in Game Studies: Beyond Game Design. Panel at Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA) Conference 2023. Seville, Spain. 19-23 June 2023.
  3. Barr, P. One easy payment of $4.99! Affecting Game Spaces: Theory and Practice. Online Conference. 3 September 2021.
  4. Khaled, R., Lessard, J., and Barr, P. Documenting Trajectories in Design Space: A Methodology for Applied Game Design Research. In the Proceedings of Foundations of Digital Games (FDG) 2018. 2018.
  5. Barr, P., Khaled R., Lewis, J., Arista, N. Crossing Oceans with Game Making Workshops. Game Developers Conference (GDC), San Francisco, USA, 2018.
  6. Khaled, R., Barr, P., Moore, C., and Greenspan, B. Towards Speculative Play. Conference of the Canadian Game Studies Association, 2016.
  7. Barr, P. The Game Designer is Present. Game Developers Conference (GDC), San Francisco, USA, 2014.
  8. Barr, P., Khaled, R., Biddle, R., and Noble, J. Playing the Interface: A Case Study of Grand Theft. OzCHI 2006: the Annual Conference for the Computer-Human Interaction Special Interest Group of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of Australia, 2006.
  9. Barr, P., Khaled, R., Biddle, R., and Noble, J. Get Out Of My Way!: Exploring Obstruction in Popular Games. Future Play, 2006.
  10. Barr, P., Brown, J., Biddle, R., Khaled, R., and Noble, J. Changing the Virtual Self: The Avatar Transformation Activity in Popular Games. Joint International Conference on CyberGames and Interactive Entertainment, 2006.
  11. Barr, P., Khaled, R., Noble, J., and Biddle, R. “Well-Being to Well Done!”: The Development Cycle in Role-Playing Games. First International Conference on Persuasive Technology for Human Well-Being, 2006.
  12. Barr, P., Khaled, R., Noble, J., and Biddle, R. Feeling Strangely Fine: The Well-Being Economy in Popular Games. First International Conference on Persuasive Technology for Human Well-Being, 2006.
  13. Barr, P., Noble, J., Biddle, R., Khaled, R. From Pushing Buttons to Play and Progress: Value and Interaction in Fable. Seventh Australasian User Interface Conference, 2006.
  14. Barr, P., Marsen, S., Noble, J., and Biddle, R. Oppositional Play: Gathering Negative Evidence for Computer Game Values. Second Australasian Conference on Interactive Entertainment (IE2005), 2005.
  15. Barr, P., Khaled, R., Noble, J., and Biddle, R. A taxonomic analysis of user-interface metaphors in the Microsoft Office Project Gallery. Sixth Australiasian User Interface Conference, 2005.
  16. Barr, P., Biddle, R., and Noble, J. Interface Ontology: Creating a Physical World for User-Interfaces. Eighth European Conference on Pattern Languages of Programs, 2003.
  17. Barr, P., Noble, J. and Biddle, R. Icons R Icons. Fourth Australasian User Interface Conference, 2003.
  18. Barr, P., Biddle, R., and Noble, J. A Taxonomy of User-Interface Metaphors. SIGCHI-NZ Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction, 2002.

Events

  1. Let’s Prototype: Ancient Greek Punishment. Workshop at School of Performance, Visualization & Fine Arts, Texas A&M. 22 April 2024.
  2. Let’s Prototype: Ancient Greek Punishment. Workshop at English Department, University of Utah. 19 April 2024.
  3. Making Worlds in Unity. Online workshop for Indigenous people in the Northwest Territories. 8 - 12 June 2020.
  4. Co-curator of ARCADE 11 at the 4th Space, part of Montréal Joue. 4 - 8 March 2019.
  5. Design lead. Skins 6.0 workshop for Indigenous game development. Honolulu, Hawai’i. 3 - 30 July 2018.
  6. Making Worlds in Unity. Online workshop for Indigenous people in the Northwest Territories. May 2018.
  7. Co-organiser of the Games as Research Symposium at the Milieux Institute for Art, Culture, and Technology. 20 April 2018.
  8. Faculty oversight for student-curated exhibition INTERPLAY: Thinking Through Games. THEMUSEUM, Kitchener, ON, Canada. 26 January - 13 May 2018.
  9. Design lead. Skins 5.0 workshop for Indigenous game development. Honolulu, Hawai’i. 17 July - 4 August 2017.
  10. Curator for ARCADE 11, part of Montréal Joue. 2 - 4 March 2016.
  11. Co-organiser of the Speculative Play Deep Time Jam. Technoculture, Art and Games (TAG) Research Centre. 24 - 25 September 2016.

Research funding

  1. SSHRC Insight Grant: Games as Research. 2022–2026. Co-investigator.
  2. Aid to Research Related Events, Exhibition, Publication and Dissemination Activities (ARRE) Program. For: The Queerness and Games Conference at Concordia. 2019. PI.
  3. Take Two. Pilot Micro-Funding Program for Fine Arts. For: The Queerness and Games Conference at Concordia. 2019. PI.
  4. Aid to Research Related Events, Exhibition, Publication and Dissemination Activities (ARRE) Program: The Queerness and Games Conference at Concordia. 2018. PI.
  5. FRQSC Team Research-Creation Grant: Speculative Play. 2016 – 2019. Co-investigator.
  6. FRDP Grant: Experimental Games. 2016 – 2019. PI.
  7. SSHRC Partnership Grant: Initiative for Indigenous Futures. 2015 – 2022. Co-investigator.

Teaching

  1. Coordinator and lecturer for CART 263 – Creative Computation II. Department of Design and Computation Arts, Concordia University. 2019 - present.
  2. Coordinator and lecturer for CART 253 – Creative Computation. Department of Design and Computation Arts, Concordia University. 2016 – present.
  3. Coordinator and lecturer for DART 450 – Web Intervention. Department of Design and Computation Arts, Concordia University. 2016 – 2018.
  4. Coordinator and lecturer for CART 351 – Networks & Navigation. Department of Design and Computation Arts, Concordia University. 2015 – 2016.
  5. Coordinator and lecturer for CART 415 – Game Studio I. Department of Design and Computation Arts, Concordia University. 2015 – 2017.
  6. Co-lecturer for IDG5104 – Experience Design. M.Sc. in Digital Games. Institute of Digital Games, University of Malta. 2014.
  7. Co-lecturer for IDG5101 – Foundations of Game Design. M.Sc. in Digital Games. Institute of Digital Games. University of Malta. 2014
  8. Co-lecturer for IDG5202 – Analysing Player Experience. M.Sc. in Digital Games. Institute of Digital Games, University of Malta. 2013 – 2014.
  9. Coordinator and lecturer for IDG5102 – Prototyping for Game Designers. M.Sc. in Digital Games. Institute of Digital Games, University of Malta. 2013 – 2014.
  10. Coordinator and lecturer for CART498I – Curious Games Studio, Special topic in game design. Department of Design and Computation Arts, Concordia University. 2013.
  11. Coordinator and lecturer for MPGD – Programming for Game Designers. M.Sc. in Digital Games, IT University of Copenhagen. 2011 – 2012.
  12. Coordinator and lecturer for MEXI – Experimental Interaction. M.Sc. in Digital Games, IT University of Copenhagen. 2010 – 2012.
  13. Coordinator and lecturer for MAHS – Applied HCI for Games. M.Sc. in Digital Games, IT University of Copenhagen. 2010.
  14. Co-lecturer for COMP 5900H – Human-Computer Interaction for User Interface Design. School of Computer Science, Carleton University. 2008.

Supervision

Graduate supervision

Primary supervisor

Committee member

Ph.D. Directed Studies

Master’s Directed Studies

Undergraduate Independent Studies

Undergraduate Internships

Elspeth McConnell Award Internships

Service

Departmental service

Faculty service

University service

Professional service

Academic

Game design

Scholarships

Research-creation

Video works

Audio works

Non-digital games

Videogames

My full portfolio of research-creation, including links to notable publicity and often a press kit, is available on my website at https://www.pippinbarr.com

Exhibitions and festivals

  1. Now Play This. Somerset House, London, UK. 6 - 8 April 2024. https://nowplaythis.net/ (Featured v r 5)
  2. De la case au pixel. Musée Suisse de Jeu, La Tour-de-Peilz, Switzerland. 10 February 2024 - 6 January 2025. https://museedujeu.ch/exposition/de-la-case-au-pixel/ (Featured Chesses)
  3. Dizzy Spell. Buntport Theater. Denver, CO, USA. 8 - 22 July 2023 http://dizzyspell.xyz/ (Featured A Series of Gunshots)
  4. Runaway Paradise: LET’S ENTERTAIN. Times Art Museum. Chongqing, China. 21 April - 23 July 2023 https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Pi3E4JpO8ZysYPJZ1aP-gA (Featured Jostle Parent, Sound System II, SNAKISMS)
  5. Voluntary Attempts to Overcome Necessary Obstacles. Elizabeth Foundation of the Arts Project Space. New York City, NY. 27 September - 29 October 2022. https://essaygames.itch.io/va-catalog (Featured Let’s Play: Ancient Greek Punishment)
  6. Video Games: Art and Technology. Art Gallery of Grande Prairie. Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada. https://aggp.ca/exhibitions/video-games-art-and-technology (Featured Let’s Play: Ancient Greek Punishment)
  7. Playmode. Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil Belo Horizonte. Belo Horizonte, Brazil. 30 March - 6 June 2022. https://ccbb.com.br/belo-horizonte/bh-programacao/playmode/ (Featured The Artist Is Present and Let’s Play: Ancient Greek Punishment)
  8. Se voisiner - neighbouring. Produit Rien. Montréal, Canada. 25 March - 10 April 2022. http://www.produitrien.com/index.html (Featured the chalk drawing The museum that’s just glad to be here)
  9. Working towards our own obsolescence. NeMe Arts Centre. Limassol, Cyprus. 18 June - 30 July 2021. https://www.neme.org/projects/working-towards-our-own-obsolescence (Featured It is as if you were doing work)
  10. Vagues. Galerie Galerie. Online. 17 - 28 March 2021. http://www.galeriegalerieweb.com/vagues/ (Featured It is as if you were doing work)
  11. What Time Are You? HSE Gallery. Moscow, Russia. 25 December 2019 - 16 February 2020. (Featured Let’s Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: Competition Edition.)
  12. Game On!: El Arte En Juego. San Martín Cultural Center. San Martín, Argentina.. 22-30 November 2019. (Featured Let’s Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: UI Edition.)
  13. Rules to Play By. Flow Gallery. PixelPop Festival, St. Louis, MO, USA. 14 - 15 September 2019. (Featured Chesses)
  14. Playmode. MAAT. Lisbon, Portugal. 11 September 2019 - 17 February 2020. (Featured Let’s Play: Ancient Greek Punishment and The Artist Is Present.)
  15. Playground. Site Gallery. Sheffield, UK. 25 June - 7 July 2019. (Featured PONGS.)
  16. Videogames: Design/Play/Disrupt. V&A Dundee. Dundee, Scotland. 20 April - 8 September 2019. (Featured A Series of Gunshots.)
  17. Arcade 11. 4TH SPACE, Concordia University. Montréal, QC, Canada. 4 - 8 March 2019. (Featured Chogue.)
  18. News from Nowhere. Gutstein Gallery. Savannah, GA, USA. 28 February - 27 April 2019. (Featured v r 3.)
  19. Boss of an Office. Auckland Fringe Festival. Auckland, New Zealand. 27 Feburary - 2 March 2019. (Featured It Is As If You Were Doing Work.)
  20. Gaming Station. Dunlop Art Gallery. Regina, SK, Canada. February 2019. (Featured v r 3.)
  21. Pippin Barr: Museums Are. Strike Anywhere Gallery, 2 November - 30 November 2018. (Featured Museum Drawings.)
  22. void Start() { Play(. Volkspark University Gallery, 16 October – 18 November 2018. (Featured GAME IDEAS.)
  23. Videogames: Design/Play/Disrupt. V&A, London, UK. 8 September – 24 February 2018. (Featured A Series of Gunshots.)
  24. Uchronia What If? Electronic Literature Organization Conference 2018. Eastern Bloc, Montréal QC, Canada. 15 August 2018. (Featured Let’s Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: CPU Edition!)
  25. ROOFTOP ARCADE. Technoculture, Art, and Games Research Centre. Concordia University. Montréal, QC, Canada. 8 June 2018. (Featured SNAKISMS.)
  26. International Playbor Day. LIKELIKE, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. 4 May 2018. (Featured It is as if you were doing work.)
  27. Now Play This. Somerset House, London, UK. 6 – 8 April 2018. (Featured v r 3.)
  28. It is as if we were doing work. varia, Rotterdam, Netherlands. 10 March 2018. (Featured It is as if you were doing work.)
  29. ARTCADE. Technoculture, Art, and Games Research Centre. Concordia University. Montréal, QC, Canada. 2 March 2018. (Featured It is as if you were doing work.)
  30. Uchronia What If? Rendez-Vous Québec Cinema. La Cinématheque Québecoise, Montréal, QC, Canada. 21 February – 3 March 2018. (Featured Let’s Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: CPU Edition!)
  31. THE SNAKE SHOW. ECOTRACO, Valletta, Malta. 2 – 12 February 2018. (Featured SNAKISMS.)
  32. UCLA Game Art Festival. Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA, USA. 14 November 2017. (Featured The Stolen Art Gallery.)
  33. Playing with #Sentiment. MixArt, Pisa, Italy. 6 – 8 October 2017. (Featured SNAKISMS.)
  34. INTERPLAY. THEMUSEUM, Kitchener, ON, Canada. 4 October 2017 – 13 May 2018. (Featured It is as if you were doing work.)
  35. Bit Bash. Revel Fulton Market, Chicago, IL, USA. 12 August 2017. (Featured SNAKISMS.)
  36. aCinema. Woodland Pattern Book Center, Milwaukee, WI, USA. 26 May 2017. (Featured SNAKISMS.)
  37. #HYPERPAVILLION. Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy. 9 May – 30 October 2017. (Featured Let’s Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: CPU Edition!)
  38. Everything is Political / The Politics of Gaming. Nieuwe Vide, Haarlem, Netherlands. 21 April – 18 June 2017. (Featured A Series of Gunshots.)
  39. Game Changers. Somerset House, London, UK. 7 April – 7 May 2017. (Featured It is as if you were playing chess.)
  40. The Fugue of Play. Groninger Museum, Groninger, Netherlands. 25 November – 8 December 2016. (Featured The Artist is Present and v r 1.)
  41. Game Art vs. Art Game. Columbia College Arcade Gallery, Chicago, IL, USA. 18 August – 28 October 2016. (Featured Art Game.)
  42. Marfa Film Festival. Marfa, TX, USA. 13 – 17 July 2016. (Featured Independence, Missouri.)
  43. Heart Projector. Altgames Arcade, Vancouver, Canada. July 2016. (Featured v r 1.)
  44. Now Play This. Somerset House, London, UK. 1 – 3 April 2016. (Featured GAME IDEA tweets.)
  45. You Are What You Eat. Blitz, Valetta, Malta. 23 April – 20 May 2016. (Featured Disaffective Computing #1: Food.)
  46. Screenshake2016. Het Bos, Antwerp, Belgium. 19 – 21 February 2016. (Featured GAME IDEA tweets.)
  47. Beta Public V. Camden People’s Theatre, London, UK. 17 – 19 November 2015. (Featured Durations.)
  48. GAMERZ 11: Festival des Arts Multimedia. Aix-en-Provence. 6 – 15 November 2015. (Featured Let’s Play: The Shining and The Junior Mint.)
  49. Transitio_MX06. Centro Nacional de las Artes, Mexico City, Mexico. 25 September – 4 October 2015. (Featured Abramovic Method Games.)
  50. Playful Procedures. Baustelle Kalk, Köln, Germany. 5 – 9 August 2015. (Featured The Stolen Art Gallery.)
  51. Kill Screen Presents: Playlist. Ace Hotel. New York, NY, USA. 26 May 2015. (Featured Jostle Parent and Let’s Play: The Shining.)
  52. New Gamegrounds. De Brakke Ground / Playful Arts Festival. Amsterdam, Netherlands. 29 – 30 April 2015. (Featured The Artist Is Present, Art Game, and Abramovic Method Games.)
  53. Kill Screen Presents: Playlist. Ace Hotel. New York, NY, USA. 31 March 2015. (Featured Sound System II.)
  54. PIXEL PORNO 0.2. Strafsachengalerie. Linz, Austria. 28 March – 10 April 2015. (Featured Lo-Fi Dick Fight and Hot Coffee.)
  55. No Coins Needed. Exhibition at Convergence Summit on Art and Technology. Banff, Canada. 27 November 2014. (Featured The Artist Is Present.)
  56. Safety Instructions. Andrew Baker Gallery, Brisbane, NSW, Australia. 26 November – 20 December 2014. (Solo show featuring prints and other artworks created around the game Safety Instructions.)
  57. A MAZE / Johannesburg. Johannesburg, South Africa. 10 – 13 September 2014. (Featured Abramovic Method Games and PONGS.)
  58. Rausch: Festival fuer digitale Kunst. European Academy of Art, Trier, Germany. 14 – 21 June 2014. (Featured Let’s Play: Ancient Greek Punishment and All’s Well That Ends Well.)
  59. Arts Biennial. Montréal, Canada. 1 May – 19 June 2014. (Featured The Artist is Present.)
  60. A MAZE / Berlin. Berlin, Germany. 9 – 11 April 2014. (Featured Art Game.)
  61. The Aesthetics of Gameplay. Online exhibition by the SIGGRAPH Digital Arts Community (DAC). 2014. (Features Safety Instructions and The Artist Is Present.)
  62. Brot und Spiele. Kleine Humboldt Galerie, Berlin, Germany. 12 November – 6 December 2013. (Featured The Artist Is Present.)
  63. Pause – Computer Games and Cultural Contingencies. At Play!CGN in Cologne, Germany. 20 – 23 November 2013. (Featured The Artist Is Present.)
  64. Art and the Viewser. Allegheny College Art Gallery, Meadville, PA, USA. 5 – 26 November 2013. (Featured Safety Instructions, Let’s Play: Ancient Greek Punishment, and the Mumble Indie Bungle.)
  65. Terrifying Noble Splendid. TEMP gallery, New York City, NY, USA. 5 October – 2 November 2013. (Featured Let There Be Smite!.)
  66. A MAZE / Republika. Rijeka, Croatia. 18 – 20 July 2013. (Featured the Mumble Indie Bungle.)
  67. Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start. SPACES, Cleveland, OH, USA. 17 May – 19 July 2013. (Featured Art Game, The Artist is Present, and the Mumble Indie Bungle.)
  68. Swans, Swine and Sirens. San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, CA, USA. 18 April – 1 December 2013. (Featured Let’s Play: Ancient Greek Punishment.)
  69. The Games of Art. Queensland University of Technology Creative Industries Precinct, Brisbaine, Australia. July 2013. (To feature Trolley Problem, All’s Well That Ends Well and Let’s Play: Ancient Greek Punishment.)
  70. Invited: Celebration Station. Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD, USA. 21 October – 21 November 2012. (Featured commissioned game Celebrate FTW!)
  71. GameCity 7. Nottingham, England. 20 – 27 October 2012. (Featured Ludwig Von Beatdown.)
  72. Envisaging Vocational Rehabilitation. Westfälischer Kunstverein, Münster, Germany. 15 February 2012 – 15 April 2012. (Featured commissioned interactive software.)
  73. Space Invaders. Nikolaj Kunsthal, Copenhagen, Denmark. 11 November 2011 – 29 January 2012. (Featured The Artist Is Present.)
  74. It’s Art in the Game. Museum Hilversum, Hilversum, The Netherlands. 12 April – 1 July 2012. (Featured The Artist Is Present.)
  75. The Name of the Game. Stephen Lawrence Gallery, University of Greenwich, London. 10 April – 11 May 2012. (Featured The Artist Is Present and Let’s Play: Ancient Greek Punishment.)

Interviews

  1. Régine Debatty. Interview with Pippin Barr, maker of witty and infuriating video games. We Make Money Not Art. 21 July 2021.
  2. Kaehler, Arne. Chogue - half chess, half rogue. ChessBase. 7 May 2020.
  3. Conditt, Jess. Some of the best video game ideas come from a Twitter philosopher. Engadget. 23 October 2019.
  4. Juul, Hesper. Interview with Pippin Barr. Interview Handmade Pixels, MIT Press, 2019. 24 January 2018.
  5. Evans, Jill Blackmore. Pippin Barr Makes Computer Games About Boredom, Time, and Marina Abramovic. Format. 11 August 2017.
  6. Alexander, Leigh. What would you put in a virtual museum? Interview on The Guardian’s tech podcast. 16 June 2017. (Discussion of the games The Stolen Art Gallery, v r 1, v r 2, v r 3.)
  7. Wolinsky, David. Pippin Barr. Don’t Die: Surviving Videogames. 14 October 2016.
  8. Vartanian, Hrag. The Artist Is Present Game Creator Talks Marina Mania, Video Games & the Rules. Hyperallergic. 19 September 2011.

Selected media and publicity

  1. Hannah, G. My First Season. Episode 15: Pointy Polygons and Pixelated Personas. 8 December 2023.
  2. Allnutt, Chris. Game developer Pippin Barr on pointless pursuits and the joy of queueing. Financial Times. 7 August 2023.
  3. The Children’s Media Conference In Sheffield Launch the Ground-Breaking Interactive Digital Art Exhibition PLAYGROUND. The Fan Carpet. 5 June 2019.
  4. Anabel, Aubrey. Playing with Feelings: Videogames and Affect. University of Minnesota Press. 2018.
  5. Whipple, Tom. Exhibition review: Videogames — Design/Play/Disrupt at the V&A. The Telegraph. 7 September 2018. (Includes mention of A Series of Gunshots.)
  6. MacDonald, Keza. Was that a reference to Magritte? Video games: Design/ Play/ Disrupt review. The Guardian. 5 September 2018. (Includes mention of A Series of Gunshots.)
  7. Jackson, Gita. How to User Twitter in 2017, Maybe. Kotaku. 9 June 2017. (Featured due to ‘GAME IDEA’ poem tweets on Twitter.)
  8. Rock, Paper, Shotgun staff. The Top Best Bestest Games of 2017 So Far. Rock, Paper, Shotgun. 6 June 2017. (Featured v r 3.)
  9. Armstrong, Jennifer. Seinfeldia: How a Show About Nothing Changed Everything. Simon & Schuster, 2016. (Discussion of the game The Junior Mint.)
  10. Switzky, Lawrence. Transmedia Ethics: Why Theater Needs Philosophy Needs Virtual Reality Needs Video Games. In Theatre 46:2, January 2016. (Discussion of Trolley Problem.)
  11. Sharp, John. Works of Game: On the Aesthetics of Games and Art. MIT Press, 2015. (Mentioned as one of a handful of contemporary videogame artists.)
  12. McMenomy, Mary. Reading the Fiction of Video Games, chapter in The Reception of Ancient Greece and Rome in Children’s Literature. Brill, 2015.
  13. Priestman, Chris. Pippin Barr alludes to the creative possibilities of games by breaking Breakout. Kill Screen, 1 October 2015. (Discussion of BREAKSOUT.)
  14. Alexander, Leigh. This game sheds light on human rights abuses in Azerbaijan. Boing Boing Offworld, 12 June 2015. (Discussion of BAKU 2015.)
  15. Finn Cohen. A Show About Nothing Begets Something You Can Play Online. New York Times, 4 May 2014.
  16. Alec Meer. How to Be A Complete Jostle Bastard. Rock, Paper, Shotgun, 20 November 2013. (Jostle Bastard featured by major PC gaming website.)
  17. Marina Abramović. 10 Young Artists to Watch. Harper’s Bazaar (online), 24 October 2013.
  18. Kyle Chayka. All the Struggle of Being an Artist, in a Video Game. Hyperallergic, 5 February 2013. (Discussion of Art Game.)
  19. Jon Irwin. Game Designers Talk About The Future Of Fun. Popular Science (online), 8 February 2012. (Featured discussing the future of games alongside major games industry figures such as Cliff Bleszinski and Manveer Heir.)
  20. Joshua Topolsky. 2011: The year when it became the norm for the device in your pocket to be the center of your world. The Washington Post (online), 28 December 2011. (The Artist Is Present selected as one of the top technology stories of 2011.)
  21. ARTINFO. The Biggest Stories of 2011: See ARTINFO’s 100 Most Popular Headlines This Year. ARTINFO, 26 December 2011. (The Artist Is Present selected by ARTINFO as one of the biggest art stories of 2011.)