Norbert Daniels Jr. is a local freelance photographer and writer.
Text and photos by Norbert Daniels Jr.
"Unconventional Convention" made a great showing at the Tangent Gallery in Detroit on Saturday night.
The mission statement distinguishes this from other conventions by shifting the focus away from merchandise and celebrity to social interaction and direct experiences.
The main room at 715 E. Milwaukee Ave. was filled with all kinds of activities like action figures, painting and a Nintendo 64 projected onto an enormous screen.
The most creative activity was a set of puzzles built using a system of landline telephones. These phones were used as an interface for a number of games similar to "Choose Your Own Adventure" books or text-based RPGs. Beating the game gave players a combination to open a prize chest.
Unconventional Convention is part of the Tangent Gallery's series of monthly Nonsense Night events, loosely defined experimental artistic affairs that encourage attendees to "be the strange you wish to see in the world."
