You're looking at a giant joystick commissioned for Game/Play, "a networked national touring exhibition focusing on the rhetorical constructs of game and play". A collaboration between Q Arts, Derby and HTTP Gallery, London, Game/Play provides a basis for exchange and interaction between audiences, artists, curators and writers through exhibitions and networked activities.

Artist Mary Flanagan built the 9-foot high controller, modelling it after the one used for the 1980 Atari 2600. To use it, players have to work together in order to move and control the game. One or two guys steer, another controls the fire button. Kinda like a pilot/gunner combo. A very good idea to promote camaraderie and teamwork, but for super-super-SUPER-competitive people (read: me and my friends), we may not even get to start playing at all. We'd all be arguing about who's better at controlling, who's better at shooting, etc.

If you're in the UK, you can check out the giant joystick (of doom?) at the following galleries:

Q Arts - Gallery, Derby (22 July - 10 September 2006)

HTTP Gallery, London (22 July - 3 September 2006)