Web We Want Festival at the Southbank, London

The World Wide Web has transformed the world and the Southbank Centre is celebrating by holding its annual Web We Want Festival from 28th to 31st May 2015. The festival is comprised of workshops, exhibitions and talks to celebrate how the internet has changed the world for the better, but it also looks at the dark side of the net too. I went to the event last year and found the talks insightful and engaging. A lot of the events are free such as the Southbank Minecraft build but there are also ticketed events such as a talk with Julian Assange, creator of Wikileaks. If you are free and have some time why not head down?

Tate and Minecraft Join Forces

Tate has joined forces with Minecraft to create 'Tate Worlds,' virtual 3D worlds of artworks which people can explore through the use of Minecraft. Tate will allow Minecraft users to access 'maps,' these maps allow players of Minecraft to explore a range of paintings and sculpture, undertaking various activities and challenges that relate to the themes of the artworks, or exploring how they were made. Tate has teamed up with some of Minecraft’s best known mapmakers to create these virtual artworks, offering a unique combination of art, history and adventure.

The first two maps were available to download on Monday 24 November 2014. The first maps focus on the theme of Cities, they are inspired by Andre Derain’s 1906 painting of London, The Pool of London, and Christopher Nevinson’s 1920 painting of New York, Soul of the Soulless City. There are plans for six more Tate Worlds maps which are scheduled for release in 2015 and will focus on play, destruction and fantasy. This seems like an exciting new project for Minecraft, who have recently been purchased by Microsoft. Is this sign of things to come?

Edgecraft

Minecraft has inspired many people to recreate games that they like in the Minecraft style, and here we have one of the best. Michael Trikosko has recreated the world of Mirrors Edge, with its clean cut lines and flashes of red. I've linked to his video but the game is playable and there are many 'Lets Plays' of the game on YouTube.