Children’s Game #8: Marbles

Directed by Francis Alÿs

This game requires considerable practice and precision, especially on the uneven terrain of an urban waste lot. The action consists in flicking a marble with thumb and index finger so that it reaches a hole in the ground in the fewest possible stages, ideally knocking away other marbles in its path. The player can keep any marble he has knocked out. If he doesn’t knock out any, he must wait his turn to try again, hoping another player won’t claim his marble in the meantime. Whoever collects the most wins. As the marbles tumble into the hollow, we see the players’ heads circularly reflected for a second in their tiny, polished spheres.