Angelcores & Heavenly Sprites #484881684

In Angelcores & Heavenly Sprites, Sabato Visconti uses glitch and ROM-corruption processes to reveal the angelic aspects of early console games, specifically third- and fourth-generation 8-bit and 16-bit consoles like the NES, Super Nintendo, and Sega Genesis.

While much of our visual understanding of angels derives from Medieval European Christianity and after, the history of the angelic has evolved in a constant renegotiation as cultures and power structures change. The contemporary meme of "Biblically-Accurate Angels" reflects this broader understanding of the angelic, although a theologian may quietly point out that the Ophanim described in the book of Ezekiel wasn't classified as an Angel until much later in history. In the same spirit, depictions of angels in 1980-1990s video games were diverse and ludopoetic—designed to fit the game type, whether it was an action platformer, a shoot 'em up, or an RPG. Games like ActRaiser, ActRaiser II, Wings of Wor, Spiritual Warfare, Chubby Cherub, and Legendary Wings draw from a variety of historical influences and portray the angelic as powerful warriors, childlike cuties, winged creatures, or devotional objects. The glitch artefacts and looping GIF narratives serve to lift up these figures from the repetitive toil and routine mechanics of their medium.