Smithsonian Planning 'Art of Video Games' Exhibit

Explaining that "video games have grown to become a significant part of our culture," Washington D.C.'s Smithsonian American Art Museum will host an exhibit titled "The Art of Video Games" from March 6, 2012 through September 9, 2012.

"In the same way as film, animation, and performance, [video games] can be considered a compelling and influential form of narrative art," declares the institution in its listing of the exhibit, adding its thoughts to the ongoing "video games as art" debate.

"From the Atari VCS to the PlayStation 3, The Art of Video Games will show the development of visual effects and aesthetics during four decades, the emergence of games as a means for storytelling, the influence of world events and popular culture on game development, and the impact that the games can have on society."

Curated by PastPixels' Chris Melissino, the exhibit is set to include various multimedia presentations, video interviews, "large prints of in-game screenshots" and, of course, playable video games. Furthermore, the general public will be consulted in order to highlight games that "best represent particular moments in the overall timeline."