Pangnirtung, Nunavut, game studio brings work of Pudlo Pudlat to life

Cape Dorset artist and printmaker Pudlo Pudlat was one of the most important Inuit artists of the 20th century. Now, thanks to a new art exhibit by Pangirtung video game studio Pinnguaq, Pudlat's work is coming to life.

Art Alive opened at the McMichael Gallery in Kleinburg, Ont., on Saturday. Dubbed the first interactive Inuit art exhibition, it incorporates 10 of Pudlat's works into a series of video games.

"The idea is to engage people in art, in this case specifically Inuit art, at a level that hasn't really been possible before," said Pinnguaq founder Ryan Oliver.

"We take Inuit art and dissect it, take it apart, and animate and create games out of those pieces."

Viewers begin the exhibit by viewing some of Pudlat's prints. Each piece consists of four to seven game levels that immerse the player in the artwork. In some cases, they'll play as a ball of ink, or try to assemble images together like a jigsaw puzzle.

Games as art

Oliver said some of the games are so simple, a person who has never played video games before can pick up an iPad and play. Others are a little more complicated and appeal to gamers.

"With games especially, it's always been seen as something that's for younger kids," he said. "So with Art Alive, we really tried to make three different games that kind of meet every demographic."

Early feedback has been positive, Oliver said: "Probably the number one comment we get from game people is that it's really unique and original. That's really rewarding because it means we're doing something that hasn't been done before."

Oliver hopes Nunavut artists will eventually be able to work with Pinnguaq and use video games as another artistic medium. 

Art Alive is on display at the McMichael Gallery until Sept. 27. It will eventually tour Canada and, Oliver hopes, Nunavut.

A video game based on the exhibit should be available on the iTunes App Store by the end of the year.