What is play, and what does it do? Are games always fun? It’s not fun to lose; so, why do we tolerate an activity that makes us lose?

These are the questions The Power of Play, an ongoing exhibition at the Indra and Harry Banga Gallery at City University of Hong Kong sets out to answer. Running till Oct 25, the exhibition marks the gallery’s 10th anniversary and frames play as a serious form of symbolic, social and technological activity.

Grounded in the School of Creative Media’s interdisciplinary approach — integrating arts, technology, humanities, and social sciences — the exhibition examines the essence and impact of gaming while challenging common myths and misconceptions about play.

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What distinguishes it from conventional museum displays is that the exhibition itself is a “game experience.”

Visitors can engage with traditional game consoles and board games arranged by different eras, step into immersive virtual mazes that test orientation and memory, participate in interactive art installations that require teamwork, and even try a robotic arm-based ball-tossing game.

China Daily photographer Adam Lam explores the fun with his lens.