In the middle of a wild-west themed stage, a wheel of fortune reads “Art Appreci-o-meter” in bold letters. On the right, empty gold picture frames hang high on a climbing wall. On the left, there’s a shootout gallery made of timber.
The props are part of Art Show Down, an art-based game show developed by Roland Smart, and hosted at Art Interactive, the experimental Cambridge art space known for its participatory projects and exhibits. The show, which will air on Cambridge Community Television, is an elimination contest in eight episodes.
As curator Roland Smart is getting the stage ready on time for the first episode, he explains why he got interested in game shows. He sees them “as a reflection of contemporary culture.” And appreciates how the way people play can reveal a lot about them. “People are less conscious of themselves when they’re playing,” he says.
In “Hang ’m High,” contestants — who were selected last year after a series of interviews and a call for entries — need to climb a wall and put paintings in frames as fast as possible. “Dead Men Tell No Lies” is a trivia contest on dead artists. And in “Brush with Danger,” a paint-off battle, contestants wear helmets with paintbrushes on top.
The show parodies and critiques not only the game show format, but art itself. “Brush with Danger” is “riffing on those reality battle shows on TV,” says Smart, who’s been working on the show for more than two years. And by the same token, “Hang ’m High” skewers the emphasis that the art world puts on the “right” positioning of an artwork.
Work by Boston artists, including Jeff Smith, Matthew Nash, Nick Rodrigues and Anna Goldstein, will be featured on the show. And Chlorine, the game show host alter ego of standup comedian Megan Goltermann, will spin the wheel to see which artworks the audience appreciates most.
“I really hope it gets people engaged with art,” says Smart. “We’re using the tools that TV gave us to make the process of artwork fun.”
Art Show Down shootings September 16 and 30 at 2 and 6 pm | Art Interactive, 130 Bishop Allen Dr, Cambridge | 617.498.0100 | Suggested donation $10 | Broadcast information available online at http://www.artshowdown.tv/flash/.
