Magos
A visual manifestation of the Atrium Alphabet, the Magos mosaic, developed into an independent project – the Conceptoscope, or Magoscope. This project is presented in two aspects: as a game and as an art object, in both physical and multimedia formats.
The Magos Game
1988-2000
The mosaic units and the game boards are designed so that the units can be moved across the board and rotated in four directions. There are different sets of rules modifying the game play.
The Magos game illustrates the principle of hypertext. It initiates field-based approaches to problem-solving and respective modes of thinking. It can also be viewed as a meditative tool, as a mandala containing complex symmetries and mutually conditioned matrices embedded within one another like the Chinese nested spheres.
The Magos game is structured so that a direct opposition to other players does not lead to victory; rather, one has better chances to win by taking into account interests of the players.
The basic version of the game consists of two game boards. One board holds the playing units, while the other is empty.
There are different versions of the game, including physical and computer versions.
The game was patented by its authors in Russia in 1998 (RU6709U1).
The Magoscope Art Object
1988-2000
The Magoscope art object consists of 8 or 16 boards, half of which are filled with movable units and the other half are empty. The units can be moved and placed onto the free boards, creating various compositions.
The object has been exhibited as part of multiple art events.
There is an interactive multimedia version of the Magoscope.