chance is a mixed media installation that takes the form of an almost-game, reflecting on themes of fate, fatality, and fatalism. The work is part of a broader research trajectory rooted in the Catholic tradition of ex-votos—votive artifacts created to thank a holy figure for intervening in moments of crisis.
In this piece, the symbolic logic of ex-votos is reinterpreted through the lens of contemporary existential uncertainty. The game structure plays with ideas of chance and agency, drawing parallels between religious fatalism and the pervasive sense of powerlessness in the face of environmental, economic, and political instability. The scenarios unfold in a continuous loop, presenting outcomes as emotional fluctuations rather than rational consequences—blurring the line between personal and collective experience.
Technically, the work is built around a custom-made game controller, fabricated using joysticks, buttons, and switches mounted on a laser-cut acrylic panel. The controller is connected to an Arduino microcontroller running the TV Out library, which allows for direct video output to a hacked CRT monitor. This setup bypasses conventional display systems, enabling the creation of a minimal, low-resolution interface that feels both tactile and symbolic.
The choice of Arduino and TV Out is deliberate: the system’s limited graphic capacity produces a raw, pixelated aesthetic that echoes the naïve visual language of traditional ex-votos. Just as those artifacts were often made by non-professional artists using modest materials, the game’s visual simplicity reinforces its emotional immediacy and symbolic weight.
Players interact by selecting an avatar and navigating a sparse digital space, only to be confronted with a single inevitable action: pressing the “chance” button to see what fate delivers. The game resists resolution, emphasizing the cyclical and unpredictable nature of its outcomes.
chance explores how systems of belief—religious or algorithmic—shape our understanding of destiny, and how interactive media can serve as a space to reflect on the tension between choice and inevitability.
