Public exhibit to cap 36-hour digital art competiton: GigaJam

Student artists and technologists will team up and match wits in a 36-hour competition to create dazzling technology-based art for GigaJam, an inaugural competition staged March 31 – April 2 by the Texas A&M student chapter of AMC SIGGRAPH, a group of computer graphic and digital interactivity enthusiasts.

The competition, to be held in the [Langford B] (http://myatlascms.com/map/?id=427&mrkIid=114216) Exhibit Hall at the Texas A&M College of Architecture, will culminate 5 p.m. April 2 with a public reception and exhibition featuring GigaJam’s interactive and still work, followed by a 6 p.m. screening in the Geren Auditorium of time-based work, such as live action video and animation.

“Projects can take any form as long as they include some form of interactive or digital imagery,” said Nathan Ayres, an undergraduate visualization student who heads the chapter. “Entries can be 2- or 3-D animated shorts, digital paintings or sculptures, motion graphics, kinetic typography, interactive 3-D projections, virtual reality experiences or video games.”

Individuals or teams of up to four members will develop their entries after the event’s theme is announced at 8 p.m. March 31. Entries are due at 8 a.m. April 2, when a jury of College of Architecture faculty will select the best creations.

The event’s structure is similar to a [game jam] (http://one.arch.tamu.edu/news/2016/9/7/game-jam-2016/) , in which participants compete in teams to develop video games within 48 hours.

“Our event casts a wider net than a game jam because ACM SIGGRAPH is an organization inclusive of all branches of computer graphics,” said Ayres.

The contest is part of the group’s mission to bolster innovation and collaborative learning opportunities for students interested in computer animation, visual effects, and interactive technology.

Richard Nira
rnira@arch.tamu.edu