About
Robert Overweg is a photographer in the virtual world, he sees the worlds of (first and third person shooter) games as the new public spaces of contemporary society and as a direct extension of the physical world.
Overweg dwells by foot or by air through the outskirts of the virtual world which he dissects through his photography. He documents the similarities and the differences between the virtual and the physical world while making use of the new possibilities the virtual world give him as a photographer.
By looking into how games work and the aesthetics of the virtual world he asks questions about how the system works and the people behind them.
On this site you can view his work and stay updated on new developments and expositions.
I recently finished an artist in residence
@ TAG in The Hague
glitches
Glitch-hug 2010, Robert Overweg, Left 4 dead 2
glitch up in the air 2010, Robert Overweg, Left 4 dead 2
the facade 2010, Robert Overweg, half-life 2
The facade 2, 2010, Robert Overweg, Left 4 dead 2
lights in mid-air glitch 2010, Robert Overweg, Grand theft auto 4
All images courtesy of TAG The Hague
Artist Statement, Glitches
I try not to follow the roads I am supposed to take, but try to seek out my own path within and outside the given boundaries of the game. I find joy in making use of a glitch1 which gives me the possibility to have a different look at the virtual world. Flying around and running through walls which I am not supposed to do gives me a sense of freedom and the ability to move in ways I can’t in the physical world. I want to look behind the curtain of the virtual facade and show it to the world.
I hope that my view of the virtual world will in the long run make us think about actually using the new possibilities that the virtual world offer us and try to create a more innovative and challenging virtual world.
1 glitch, /glɪtʃ/ Show Spelled [glich] Show IPA Slang. –noun
1. a defect or malfunction in a machine or plan.
2. Computers. any error, malfunction, or problem.Compare bug1 (def. 5).
3. a brief or sudden interruption or surge in voltage in an electric circuit.
–verb (used with object)
4. to cause a glitch in: an accident that glitched our plans.