Christine Chen-Looking Outwards-10

 Kaho Abe (Group project with Ramsey Nasser and Francis Hsueh), Don’t Wake the Bear, 2013

Kaho Abe is an artist based in New York who create games and installation art. She has also been sharing her research findings and knowledge through holding classes and workshops at New York University. Interestingly, she graduated from Parsons New School of Design and was actually a fashion designer before becoming a media artist.

My favorite work of hers is a game that she designed with Ramsey Nasser and Francis Hsueh named “Don’t Wake the Bear.” In this game, players take turn passing around the device to pick items to drop on the bear. The goal is to not wake the bear and get “eaten.” The player who wakes up the bear loses. My favorite part of the game is that the players have to be careful while handling around the device too, as shaking the device also wakes up the bear. I really admire how the game involves both digital and physical interactions. How the game was designed to be for the players to pass around the device involves interaction between the players and could serve as ice breakers at events! The way the game is planned out also encourages strategic thinking and decision making, which levels it up from being just a game.

Kaho Abe’s website: http://kahoabe.net