Guerre en Jeux (War Games)

Why are war games so popular? Many gamers, whether or not they have experienced the horrors of war, find it entertaining, but playing war games is not harmless. With each new tragedy, the debate is reignited: what impact do war games have on our mentalities? It’s all too easy to reduce these games to incitement to aggression or the reproduction of violent behaviour.

Why do we play war games? From toy soldiers to video games, there is a long history of the intimate relationship between games and the battlefield. While games take different forms in different eras and cultures, their logic remains surprisingly similar. They find their way into every home, spreading a representation of war that is often far removed from reality.

In societies that morally reject violence, war games carry with them the ambiguity of being entertained by conflict or competition.

This exhibition invites you to explore how these games shape our understanding of the world and ourselves.