On Th DL

Omniana

by Dana Henry

Fri., Nov. 16, 9 p.m., $5 (free for members and those in costume), Abington Art Center, 515 Meetinghouse Road, Jenkintown, 215-887-4882, abingtonartcenter.org, omnianathegame.com

"Magical Realism," a current exhibit at the Abington Art Center, celebrates literary myths, mysterious imagery, hallucinations and otherworldly happenings. Even so, Omniana, a card game by artist Aaron Delamatre, is a seemingly peculiar component. But, as curator Sue Spaid argues, there's plenty of art behind these cards. "There's not enough attention to this new genre of artists making games," she says.

In order to introduce Philadelphia to Omniana, the center — along with partners at Copy Gallery — will host a party featuring drinks, costumes and five gaming stations. The cards, which Delamatre draws by hand, make for far more than table play. Omniana builds on the experimental 1960s art movement Fluxus, which often lent itself to the creation of board games. In Fluxus, it is not the object but the players' interaction that makes art. Omniana's cards stage a speculative philosophical battle that evades modes of chance and strategy to engage imaginative wit. Players debate parallel realities; judges decide fates; and creatures such as Auntie Vortex, Wallace the Bulldozer and Maggot Faces become personal interpretations.

Spaid hopes the evening not only spotlights an underappreciated art form, but also reconnects participants with their whimsical side. "It's not like you know these characters," she says. "You look at these cards and have to imagine what they could do in a given situation."