This Electronic Beats Podcast takes a different trajectory to our usual hosted format and this time we offer a panel talk discussion from the Equal eSports Festival at Digital X in Cologne. The panel addressed the role of equality and gaming in art with American new media artist Angela Washko, art collector Julia Stoschek and Antje Hundhausen, founder of the #equalesports initiative at Deutsche Telekom.

In video games, performances and through digital interventions, Angela Washko explores the roots of misogyny in digital and physical spaces. One of her works is currently presented in the exhibition 'Worldbuilding - Videogames and Art in the Digital Age' in Düsseldorf, which is curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of fellow panellist Julia Stoschek’s Collection.

Throughout the discussion the three talk on the relationship between gaming and art, the designers and artists behind them and the inherent issue of sexism, racism and homophobia experienced in games. The panellist’s also exchange views on the lack of women’s stories in the gaming world, pushing and blurring the boundaries, creating a safe space for women gamers and cancel culture in the eminent role-player game World of Warcraft. The discourse also leads to touch on the threads between gaming and the arts, making critical art in games, media-based artists and creators and choosing artists for exhibitions.