Space Invader – Hello, My Game Is…. Show Review & Pictures

The reception to the museum was inconspicuously sober with 2 narrow banners outside flanking the entrance, there was very little clue to the delights hidden within. As you stepped into the reception the familiar sticker machines were on the wall and above the front desk was a map of the local area showing the location of some flashable Invaders in the immediate vicinity, take note ‘flashers’.  
It’s worth mentioning that all of the proceeds collected from the sticker machines will be going to Children’s charities so make sure you go with plenty of €1 coins…..and we’ve since learnt that you typically get 2 stickers per pack….if you get just 1 then that is considered a more collectable item and they will change the designs throughout the course of the exhibition.

Room 1 was an homage to the very beginnings of the arcade game era with games such as Pong, Galaxian and Pac-Man along with some large unique works based on more of the beautifully simplistic 8-bit games such as asteroid, Super Mario and his very own ‘Hello My Game is…’  The arcade games were all set very low, this was after all a children’s museum but the offer of free credits to play some games that I haven’t seen for more than 25 years, let alone played was too much to resist. So I shuffled up on my backside and squeezed in a bit of Galaxian and Pac-Man….ah, the good old days…….

Into room 2 and you were immediately presented with an entire wall full of aliases, 61 in total if you count Snow White on the opposite wall. Some from recent invasions such as LDN_144 and then other older classics from all over the world, that I may never have got to see if it wasn’t for this show. The presence of the Spacestation Space2 alias couldn’t go without mention but then nor could Astroboy, NY III or just about every one of the others on display.

For those unfamiliar with Invader; An Alias is a recreation of one of Invaders Street Pieces and, by his very own Rules of the Game, there can only ever be one Alias created of each street-piece so once this show is over and these works move on to their new owners we are unlikely to ever see these particular works ever again making it an experience in its own right to be able to admire and savor their beauty.

The red lights were attached to a ‘Space-Desk’ where children (of all ages) could locate Invaders by pressing the buttons on the control panel and lighting up various Invaders on the wall, again ensuring this wasn’t just about a load of grown adults drooling at the works of art but something for the children to play with and enjoy.

Room3, the Rubik Cubism room, again presented some stunning work in another medium that we immediately associate with Invader, and the works on display did not disappoint. A large Peter Pan image of the Lost Boys gathering around a burning Invader fire, Sher Kahn from the Jungle Book, a large Invader sculpture standing on a bed of Rubiks cubes all deserve special mention. If he really constructs all of these by hand and finds the correct colour patterns purely by twisting the rubiks cubes to the correct positions then it makes their construction all the more of a feat of visual excellence as well as problem solving mastery. With the large-scale dancing kids on the far wall and another 3 pieces to the side with a complex and visually stunning Maleficent it was a fantastic example of his Rubik Cubism creations, the wall leading back to Room 2 being made to look like it was made of giant Rubiks Cubes with Invaders finished the room perfectly.

Room 4 is the final room of the exhibition and presents a selection of ink drawings, Cinderella  and Teenage Ninja Turtles drawn in Coloured inks on enlarged squared notepad paper and then another 6 large ink drawings on the opposite wall. Each consisting of 42 hand drawn Invaders in Black ink on paper framed in a walnut frame, value aside, these were possibly the most beautiful pieces in the show…and featured a new style signature I’ve not previously seen.

A magnetic wall and multi-coloured mosaic tiles again allowed the children to create their own designs….and from what I saw the adults were having plenty of fun with them too.

The final pieces providing a little insight into Invaders world with a section of the masks and disguises he has used to protect his identity during various invasions around the world and then the back wall being a depiction of his studio, a floor to ceiling vinyl of a studio wall showing the racks of tiles, tools, cements and glues, and hidden amongst them little spy holes or screens showing video clips of his adventures or pictures of his work. 

I have to take my hat off to invader for being able to combine a first class Urban Contemporary Art Exhibition with something that will remain entertaining to children who will enjoy the works purely for their fun-factor without any comprehension of monetary worth, appreciating it for the interactive and enjoyable experience it is intended to be. If you are in or around Paris this is a must see show…..and you can even take the kids 🙂 

Want so see more? you can find further reviews from some of our friends below:
feral-things @ Arrested Motion
Lionel Belluteau @ Un oeil qui traîne