Symbolon (Aug 2020)
Vagabond Mimesis – Nomadic Wanderings Through "Minecraftian” Performance Space
Abstract
This essay focuses on nomadism as a way of navigating and existing in virtual performance spaces, such as Minecraft. As nomadic thought is present not only in philosophy but also in art, we can assume that game play as performative action also has nomadic qualities. In my examples, the nomadic attitude includes the non-human materialities in interaction with the player. According to Deleuze and Guattari, the nomad worker does not reproduce, he/she follows, embarking on journeys in both immobility and distance. The avatar/performer in Minecraft is such a worker, engaging in endless functionless labor, that in itself is creative and ever forward-striving and, therefore, mimetic. I discuss possible ways in which the nomadic approach practiced in performance studies could be applied to the study of video games as spaces of performance and what kind of perspectives on mimesis could be opened through this line of thought.
