Feminine Play

Feminine Play draws on Stephanie Harkin's research on feminine games and play cultures. Feminine play has been overshadowed by traditional thinking that pairs games with boyhood, competition, and violence. Harkin coined the term "Techno-Femininity" to highlight how femininity and technology come together in various ways-across political 'cyber-feminist' movements to corporatised gendered electronic products. This exhibition and its accompanying catalogue highlights the many overlooked intersections of femininity and technology, but we also welcome forms of play that live outside of the digital. Curated works for this exhibition reimagine games and play and account for experiences and perspectives that have gone unnoticed. IGEA's Australia Plays 2023 Report found that Australians play games for improved wellbeing and a sense of community, and yet a decline in women players aged between 14-24 was reported. There is a need to address the cultural forces that disenfranchise girls from games at this critical point of girlhood. Yet femininity is not strictly "for girls." Femininity refers to traditions and values that have been assigned to girls and women in the past but can be taken on by anybody. But its long-held connection to gender has landed femininity in a position of cultural inferiority, infantilisation, and frivolousness in comparison to serious masculine pursuits. And yet, play has always had a silly and feminine side. Games have long explored feminine themes, from dressing up digital dolls to nurturing friendships and pixelated pets. While historically these have mostly been found in gendered games designed "for girls," today we see more and more game designers with various identities engaging with complex and radical interpretations of femininity. By curating an assortment of thoughtful games and playful creative works, this exhibition invites visitors into a meaningful dialogue around gender, culture, and games. The project offers intersectional perspectives on femininity in games from across Australia and New Zealand.