Connor Gottfried *Batteries Not Included For Sale

About this work

Connor Gottfried has established himself as a leading voice in the contemporary art dialogue surrounding technology, nostalgia, and consumer culture. Working at the intersection of sculpture, digital media, and interactive installation, Gottfried transforms artifacts of late twentieth-century gaming into objects that interrogate our evolving relationship with screens, play, and the designed obsolescence embedded in consumer electronics. *Batteries Not Included* exemplifies Gottfried's sophisticated material practice, combining laser-cut acrylic with a functioning 8-inch IPS display powered by a Raspberry Pi running a Game Gear emulator loaded with the original Sonic the Hedgehog ROM. The work arrives complete with a wireless SEGA 6 button controller, positioning the viewer not merely as spectator but as active participant. This deliberate collapsing of artwork and arcade speaks to broader questions about interactivity, authorship, and the boundaries of the art object itself. The title carries multiple registers of meaning—referencing both the practical reality of portable gaming and the emotional batteries we collectively deplete through screen-mediated experience. Gottfried's practice sits within a lineage of artists who have engaged seriously with gaming culture, from Cory Arcangel's cartridge modifications to the pixel-based investigations of the new media generation. Yet his work distinguishes itself through its sculptural presence and commitment to functionality; these are not relics or simulations but operational systems, preserved and recontextualized. The six-color print and precise acrylic fabrication demonstrate a formal rigor that elevates the work beyond mere nostalgia piece into considered artistic statement. For acquisition inquiries regarding this work by Connor Gottfried, please contact Guy Hepner directly.