The Siren

‘The Siren’ is a digital exploration that questions the traditional conventions of video games. The work probes the meaning we assign to actions within a game, the motivations behind our playful engagements, and aims to eventually introduce an art exhibition public to the medium.

This inclusive approach is designed to be accessible to everyone, including newcomers, while also providing an additional level of understanding for those already acquainted with video games. As a result, the piece features accessible gameplay and incorporates a so-called ‘cinematic’ dimension, thus offering a rich visual experience for those who prefer to watch.

In ‘The Siren’, players embody a heroine wearing a shimmering armor who initially wanders aimlessly along a beach at dusk. Once in control, players quickly engage in actions under the watchful eye of an omniscient narrator. This narrator prompts players to undertake a seemingly arbitrary task—or side quest—of collecting bioluminescent seashells scattered across the sand, before being allowed to move on to the main quest: the rescue of a damsel in distress. The player’s interaction, especially through multiple-choice dialogues with the narrator, influences the unfolding of the story and can trigger multiple distinct endings, depending on players interpretation and conscious choices.

Director

Mélanie Courtinat

Mélanie Courtinat is an award-winning artist and art director, born and based in Paris, France. Considering video games as a major medium, she focuses on their extraordinary immersive properties, and seeks to push back their limits. The outcome, crafted through the use of digital tools, results in CGI images and films, Interactive experiences, Virtual and Augmented reality.

As an artist, her personal work is consistently being shown worldwide in cultural institutions, galleries and museums, from Tokyo to New York.

As an art director, she works on commissioned projects for clients in the Luxury, Fashion, Culture & Music fields.

Mélanie also teaches video game theory at Écal in Lausanne and frequently conducts lectures and workshops in an academic setting 