周一忱 ZHOU YICHEN

Games are an extension of human thought. To me, they are not merely entertainment, but a medium for expressing ideas and emotions—like a paintbrush in the hand of a painter. At this stage of my practice, I use the Nintendo Game Boy not as a nostalgic object, but as a creative tool to explore the relationship between the individual and society, and to examine the nature of the world.

Games have long functioned as rehearsal—simulating future life experiences for the younger generation, from repetitive, structured routines to the training of serious skills and social roles. In my work, however, games have no goals, no rules, no rewards or punishments. They loop endlessly and embrace meaninglessness by design. This intentional absurdity reflects the repetition and futility embedded in everyday life. We become like programmed characters, endlessly executing predefined routines until the end.

Meaningless games provoke reflection on the meaning of existence. Reality itself has been fully gamified—rules and feedback shape our daily lives. Games are both a simulacrum of reality and a structure through which we perceive and engage with the world.

GAME NEVER OVER.