{
 "id": 36935,
 "slug": "2022-04-18_snake-97-high-scores",
 "url": "https://agents.willem.com/en/posts/2022-04-18_snake-97-high-scores/",
 "source_url": "https://willem.com/en/2022-04-18_snake-97-high-scores/",
 "language": "en",
 "date": "2022-04-18",
 "published": "2022-04-18T00:00:00+02:00",
 "created": "2025-06-26T22:09:27.668000+02:00",
 "updated": "2026-04-03T14:34:43.923000+02:00",
 "title": "Snake '97 High Scores",
 "subtitle": "Game inspired art by Zena Van den Block",
 "summary": "Last week I received a very kind invitation from a Belgian artist, to attend her art exhibition in Antwerp. The work on display involved the Snake '97 game that I have created. Uttering to find the right words and thrilled with excitement, I happily accepted the invitation!",
 "topics": [
  "art",
  "creating",
  "game",
  "people",
  "retro",
  "snake",
  "work"
 ],
 "author": {
  "name": "Willem L. Middelkoop",
  "url": "https://willem.com"
 },
 "translation": {
  "language": "nl",
  "url": "https://agents.willem.com/nl/posts/2022-04-18_snake-97-highscores/",
  "source_url": "https://willem.com/nl/2022-04-18_snake-97-highscores/"
 },
 "image": "https://willem.com/global/images/d53233ab69bb.webp",
 "image_width": 2560,
 "images": [
  {
   "url": "https://willem.com/global/images/ead2fd53cae7.webp",
   "description": "Snake '97 - your dosis of retro game nostalgia ",
   "manager_file": "148-bf2d6faf6057f115dc72e82d984e71359f16b48d8c42b4b41c2ee918cf46b556_ContentAsPost_36935_images-1.jpg"
  },
  {
   "url": "https://willem.com/global/images/3fd210797619.webp",
   "description": "Work from Zena Van den Block (source zenavandenblock.com)",
   "manager_file": "148-bf2d6faf6057f115dc72e82d984e71359f16b48d8c42b4b41c2ee918cf46b556_ContentAsPost_36935_images-2.jpg"
  },
  {
   "url": "https://willem.com/global/images/0eb1e4ab051c.webp",
   "description": "Snake art works in SECONDroom Antwerp: \"High Scores\" by Zena Van den Block",
   "manager_file": "148-bf2d6faf6057f115dc72e82d984e71359f16b48d8c42b4b41c2ee918cf46b556_ContentAsPost_36935_images-3.jpg"
  },
  {
   "url": "https://willem.com/global/images/b71d3e7bd7fb.webp",
   "description": "The art works glow in the dark",
   "manager_file": "148-bf2d6faf6057f115dc72e82d984e71359f16b48d8c42b4b41c2ee918cf46b556_ContentAsPost_36935_images-4.jpg"
  },
  {
   "url": "https://willem.com/global/images/107dfd912670.webp",
   "description": "Meeting Zena Van den Block: the intimate character of SECONDroom offers plenty of room to connect",
   "manager_file": "148-bf2d6faf6057f115dc72e82d984e71359f16b48d8c42b4b41c2ee918cf46b556_ContentAsPost_36935_images-5.jpg"
  },
  {
   "url": "https://willem.com/global/images/cd7e20bbdb90.webp",
   "description": "Game graphics elevated to genuine art works",
   "manager_file": "148-bf2d6faf6057f115dc72e82d984e71359f16b48d8c42b4b41c2ee918cf46b556_ContentAsPost_36935_images-6.jpg"
  },
  {
   "url": "https://willem.com/global/images/75d5e0fdfce5.webp",
   "description": "Amazing detail: green dot-matrix canvas, manual brush strokes and a glossy plastic like surface ",
   "manager_file": "148-bf2d6faf6057f115dc72e82d984e71359f16b48d8c42b4b41c2ee918cf46b556_ContentAsPost_36935_images-7.jpg"
  },
  {
   "url": "https://willem.com/global/images/d6a3bdaa5b45.webp",
   "description": "Look ma: me standing next to Snake art! WOW!",
   "manager_file": "148-bf2d6faf6057f115dc72e82d984e71359f16b48d8c42b4b41c2ee918cf46b556_ContentAsPost_36935_images-8.jpg"
  }
 ],
 "text": "Snake 97: Retro phone game\nChances are you have heard or seen the game I have created: Snake_97 (https://snake97.com). The dot-matrix graphics and monotone sounds enable millions of fans to get a dosis of nostalgia in retro phone gaming. While I_created_the_game_by_accident (https://willem.com/en/2018-02-21_updating-snake-97/), its impact hasn't stopped amazing me.\nZena Van den Block\nAmong the fans of the game is Zena Van den Block (1995), a Belgian artist who inspires by creating visual art in unexpected ways. Often through play and chance, she searches for translations of patterns that she discovers around recurring habits using images from popular culture. By creating context or by purposefully reversing it, her work makes your rethink the visuals you (think you) know.\nFor her work involving the Snake game, she meticulously collected her end game screens. She uses the final arrangement of the Snake, often in nearly impossible twists, as building blocks on her canvas.\nIn addition to the dot-matrix lines on the canvas, the funky old school green glows in the dark. It took her months to find the right mix and to perfect her application technique. The \"High Score\" art pieces are finished with a plastic-like surface, perfectly completing the retro vibe of yesteryear's mobile phone displays.\nSECONDRoom Antwerp\nNamed after the original exhibition room in the founder's apartment, SECONDroom (https://secondroom.org/) organises exhibitions with a short-lived vernissage, giving expositions an intimite character. This setting allows you to connect with the artist and other spectators.\nAs the creator of Snake_97 (https://snake97.com) I have seen the graphics of the game a bazillion times. Yet, experiencing the graphics as genuine art feels totally different. Humbled and uttering to find the right words I examined these works of art.\nConclusion\nI can only think of one word to describe seeing Snake exhibited as art: WOW! People often ask me what the Snake game has earned me... Well, I find it hard to think of something more valuable than the privilege of meeting amazing people like Zena. Nokia's well-known slogan \"Connecting People\" seems ever more applicable to Snake. I am incredibly grateful!\n- Zena Van den Block website (https://zenavandenblock.com) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/zenavandenblock/)\n- SECONDroom_Antwerp (https://secondroom.org)\n- Play_Snake_97 (https://snake97.com)",
 "word_count": 360,
 "markdown_url": "https://agents.willem.com/en/posts/2022-04-18_snake-97-high-scores/post.md"
}