Designing Human-Generated Gameplay for the Playbox™️ v.0.1

Apr 4, 2026
Field:

Rehearsal

 Location:

Grand Luxe Hall, Western Front

 Time:

3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Description:

This open rehearsal presented outcomes from the workshop series, Designing Human-Generated Gameplay for the Playbox™️ v.0.1, led by Torien Cafferata and A of Playbox Studios. Together with seven participants—Neal Moignard, Angelo Moroni, Manuel Muñoz, Haruki Takeuchi, Zion Wang, and Rafael Zen and Khalil Alomar (Why Whisper Studio)—they explored input-output game poetics, or “controllography.” 

Throughout the workshop series, participants rotated between roles as designers and human avatars, using everyday materials to invent controllers, game mechanics, and avatar identities. The result was an experimental arcade of live, human-generated mini-games in the Grand Luxe Hall—each a window into the poetry of play, the choreography of control, and the art of delegated experience.

The workshops took place on March 17, 24, and 31, 2026. 

Video documentation is available upon request.

Torien Cafferata addresses the open rehearsal, holding eye contact with the audience. They wear a black sweater and glasses. Behind them, a projection displays an action inventory worksheet that lays out the rules of controllography. In front of Torien, electronic objects like a pair of headphones, a sound card, and a computer sit on a wooden plinth.
Four audience members observe Torien Cafferata speaking from behind a wooden plinth. From the artist’s computer, two contextual illustrations appear on a large projection screen: the first depicts a human body alongside a snake; the second shows a figure confined within a human-sized playbox.
Khalil Alomar and Rafael Zen activate their playbox. Wearing helmets with cameras mounted before their eyes, they sing into a microphone. On the large projection screen behind them, an audience member rolls small wooden dice that modulate pitch, glitch, and phonemes. Four audience members observe.
A person in the audience watches three people on stage. Artists Torien Cafferata and Zion Wang engage with an audience member in a game called The Ventriloquist Box, its title handwritten in black uppercase letters on the front of the cardboard playbox. Zion stands to the left, observing, while Torien explains the rules to the participant, who smiles.
Zion Wang modulates information on a computer while a chosen audience member interacts with a playbox, placing their hands inside the box. Angelo Moroni, wearing a teal T-shirt and black pants, moves at center stage, responding to incoming commands. He wears a helmet with a camera mounted before his eyes. On the large projection screen behind them, the audience’s reactions are broadcast live.
Performer Haruki Takeuchi presents a long paper score to an audience member wearing a striped blouse and sunglasses perched on their curly hair. The score consists of three sheets of paper joined with green tape. They make eye contact, and the audience member gestures toward it. Behind them, a long table displays various playboxes.
Artist Angelo Moroni moves within the performance space, marked on the floor with green tape. He wears a cardboard mask assembled with green tape, along with a teal T-shirt and black pants. At the back of the space, three audience members watch his performance with curiosity beside a speaker.
Artist Angelo Moroni lies on the floor at the center of the performance space, a square outlined in green tape. He wears a cardboard mask assembled with green tape, a teal T-shirt, and black pants. His hands rest on the playbox while his legs are bent apart. At the back, two audience members observe beside a speaker as a projection shows an overhead view of the space.
Two cardboard playboxes rest on a table covered with black fabric, their edges joined with green tape. The first is a square box with cut corners, bearing the title The Ventriloquist Box handwritten in black uppercase letters on its front. The second resembles an old-school joystick, a square box fitted with a green stick topped by a red sphere.
Three cardboard playboxes rest on a table covered with black fabric, their edges joined with green tape. The first resembles an old-school joystick, a square box fitted with a green stick topped by a red sphere. A cardboard game cartridge is placed in its front. The second has the front side fully open, exposing slots with wooden dice. The third has an open slot on top and barcode information printed on its side.

Related Events

Captions:

Back to:

Western Front is a non-profit artist-run centre in Vancouver.

We acknowledge the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations as traditional owners of the land upon which Western Front stands.

We use cookies on our website. Some are essential, while others help us to improve this website and your experience. Change your preferences any time via Cookie Settings or see our Privacy Policy for more information.
or
  • Essential: Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the website to function properly.
  • External Media (optional): Content from external video platforms and social media platforms is blocked by default. If these cookies are accepted, access to this content no longer requires manual consent.
  • Analytics: These cookies collect information anonymously to help us understand how our visitors use our website. We use Matomo and do not give analytic data to third party services.