When art meets gaming: AN INTERVIEW WITH MARCAMIX ON HIS COLLABORATION WITH BGAMING

With less than a month to go, BGaming is gearing up to make the most of its SiGMA Europe Summit 2023 participation. We continue our cherished “Where Art Meets Gaming” initiative by partnering up with talented local artists. For this event, we're particularly excited about collaborating with MARCAMIX, a Malta-based graffiti artist.

With great enthusiasm and commitment to free expression, MARCAMIX brings his unique flair to BGaming’s iconic characters. Let’s delve into the origins of the artist's style and hear about his experiences collaborating with us.

1. Can you share some insights into your background and how you discovered your passion for street art?

Certainly! The journey into street art has its roots in my early days of skateboarding when graffiti was a significant part of skate culture. By the late '90s, I was already hooked on painting, which fueled my interest and led me to explore art and design further. It dramatically shifted my perspective and ignited an enduring, never-ending story for my artistic journey and self-expression.

‍2. How did you develop your distinct artistic style, and what influenced it?

Throughout my artistic journey, I've discovered that personal evolution and artistic techniques go hand in hand. Over time, my personality and values seamlessly blend into my work, almost like a subconscious projection, reflecting the changing nature of our outlook as we mature.

Music has been a monumental force in this adventure. I first embraced turntablism and music production in 2004, fascinated by the art of sculpting and layering sound. Remarkably, these sound design methods have found their way into my visual artistry years later. The name "MARCAMIX" represents the fusion of my two passions, with music significantly shaping my visual art style.

My work has become a sensory fusion of the auditory and visual — a synthesis of my influences, both past and present.

3. Could you share at least 3 of the standout street artworks you like the most? A glimpse into their stories would be great.

I painted this art during the JunkYard Jam event in the UK, uniting many talented artists. Over 2 days, we collectively breathed life into this space. Ironically, our creations were soon dismantled and scrapped for parts, teaching me about the art impermanence and the beauty of continual innovation. Painting with artists driven to follow their vision regardless of the outcome reaffirmed that the real reward lies in the present and pure imagination and flow.

At Germany's Hidden Treasure urban art festival, I co-created a mural with artists from New Zealand and Italy. Meeting just before the event, we jumped into freestyling ideas together. Despite being total strangers, our shared creativity quickly fused our styles into a cohesive piece. This thrilling spontaneity showed that shared passion can lead to great collaboration, even on the fly. By feeding off each other's talents and energy, we brought this mural to life. It was an enriching experience showing that synergy follows when purpose aligns.

I painted this piece at the Yardworks, a Scottish graffiti festival that gathers together artists worldwide. This event offered a big surprise for me. While I had an assigned space, a last-minute twist placed me on the main wall, flanked by some hard hitters.

‍4. How did your artistic collaboration with BGaming begin? What attracted you to work with them?

Out of the blue, BGaming reached out to discuss a potential creative collaboration. Their proposal immediately piqued my interest. After delving into the specifics, I was excited by the creative freedom they offered and the opportunity to infuse my vision into their games. With prior experience in the iGaming industry, I had a genuine curiosity about slots.

5. Which elements of BGaming’s gaming artwork captivated you? Were any original details retained in your versions?

From the outset, I was enthralled by the immersive quality of each game concept presented by BGaming. Specifically, the alluring designs and mystical themes of the Book of Cats and Aztec Magic stood out to me. As I crafted my interpretations, I sought to preserve integral character details that charmed the original artwork. My objective was to honor the magic of the source material and infuse the visual components of my creative perspective, taking the artwork on a cheeky new journey.

‍6. You’ve masterfully reimagined characters from some of BGaming’s iconic games, including Elvis Frog, Book of Cats, Aztec Magic, and Gold Rush with Johnny Cash. Can you walk us through your journey from the spark of inspiration to the final design showcase?

I enjoyed the challenge, especially when I had to merge five different games into one cohesive piece of artwork! My process started by figuring out how to link them through a story and build on that narrative.

I revamped the characters, endowing them with traits and qualities that make them instantly recognizable. I then added intricate details for depth and experimented with colors to finalize the design. Reflecting on the entire creative journey, it's always an enriching experience for me.

The BGaming team is eager to share more about our creative initiative at the SiGMA Europe Summit 2023. Schedule a meeting with us here to witness the unveiling of the MARCAMIX masterpiece at our 2109 stand and pick up gifts infused with creativity and reimagined BGaming’s characters. Experience the fusion of art and gaming firsthand!