Manifesto >>

This movement that I have called ludoztli (making games) exhorts the artist to stop making non interactive art, and break the wall between the art object and the passive viewer.

The Games >>

Learn about the three board games I created based on the political frontier between México and the United States. With them, I attempt to promote discourse and interest among players about the reality of the border.

Additional Stuff >>

Check material by other artists and designers that make use of games to promote their social concerns and perspectives

About Pako >>

My name is Francisco Ortega-Grimaldo, a Doctor in Critical Studies and Artistic Practices. I work as an Assistant Professor at Texas Tech University’s School of Art.

About Francisco “Pako” Ortega-Grimaldo

My area of work and expression is Graphic Design (GD)... or as I explain to everyone that is not related to the term: I play with the computer. It is not that I am a computer wiz but I learned to use the box as the main tool to create my artwork and to express creatively.

I began my career in the graphic arts after understanding that I was not a psychologist. Although I managed to add a degree on it to my record and practiced for a short while, I mainly learned to apply the social sciences to my education in the Arts. Later I received a Masters in 2002 guided by my mentor and friend Rafael Fajardo whom explained to me that all we can do is to continue exploring the boundaries of visual culture and hopefully hit a cultural nerve. Thorough him I learn about book design, cultural exploration, and envisioning new directions for visual research.

From 1999 to 2005 I worked and developed my skills as a GD in The Model Institutions for Excellence program. I started as a part time student and ended up as Chief Designer (what about that… mh?!). It was there where I acquired a taste for sweet research. Being one of my tasks to assist Faculty and students (in various stages of their education) in developing eye candy from their research material for conferences, grants, or annual reports, I constantly craved that aspect of academic education. During this time the New Mexico State University (NMSU) hired me as an instructor for their graphic arts program. This also influences my decision to become a scholar.

In the summer of 2005 I decided to expand my horizons. My wife and I traveled to Lubbock, Texas where I was accepted as a Doctorate student in the Visual and Performing Arts program from Texas Tech. Other opportunity emerged and was lucky to become an Assistant Professor at the School of Arts in 2007. So far I taught Web media, Symbols, Motion Graphics and Publication.

Finally in 2008, I finished my dissertation and became a PhD “with all the honors and duties that this entitles (want to download my dissertation, click here).” My research was based on the creation of board games that present the social issues involved with immigration. So far I have been able to present my work in Portugal, México and galleries in Texas; I have received e-mails from different parts of the world asking or commenting about the games; and I have received a couple of calls for interviews for different newspapers.

Slowly I have been updating this website. I would like to add more material to it and generate a large network of social games built in the “ludoztli” spirit by people from all over. Right now I am working on a few more games also related to social concerns like violence. I wish there was a faster way to develop them but designing games is a slow process that requires a lot of testing. Please be patient and stay tuned.

Pako: Aug.2009

If you are interested in viewing my personal website and see student's work or view my CV, please go to: http://fog-site.com
(this link will open an additional window)

Or if you want to download my dissertation, click here

Contact information:
[e] francisco.ortega@ttu.edu
[e] pako@ludoztli.com
[p] (806) 742.3825 ext. 242