In London, Videogames Ascend Into the Art World

The huge V&A exhibit, sprawling across four exhibition spaces, opens with a look at the design process, featuring game prototypes, sketches used to create characters and the painting "Le Blanc Seing" (1965), an optical illusion involving a horse and rider by the Belgian surrealist René Magritte. The painting, meaning "The Blank Signature," inspired the designers of "Kentucky Route Zero," an atmospheric adventure game of 2013. The organizers of the five-month exhibition, which opens Sept. 8, are trying to appeal to two very different audiences. One group, says the museum's Marie Foulston, a videogames specialist and lead curator of the show, consists of serious gamers on the prowl for behind-the-scenes details about their favorites. These visitors will find a range of game designers opening up about their methods and sources.