Game Happens 2019 – Conference
Friday 8 November, Afternoon Sessions

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Can we use BOARDgames to instigate institutional change? I tested this hypothesis during my residency at the V&A Museum in London. The project started when I read that another museum dropped a £1m grant from the infamous Sackler family, who I knew nothing about despite my studio being in the Sackler Centre. Wondering how choices like taking or refusing donations are being framed and implemented, I hacked together a simple card game. The real challenge emerged when I pitched it to museum staff.

Matteo Menapace

Matteo Menapace is officially VIDEOgames designer in residence at the V&A Museum in London. Practically he makes cooperative boardgames about cheerful topics like food politics, memory loss and honeybee capitalism. In our age of extreme individualism, tech addiction and epidemic loneliness, in which the incarnation of Mister Monopoly is literally the US president, Matteo teaches people how to make games that encourage collaboration and experimentation, and help us tackle tough questions.
Twitter: @baddeo

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