AT THE AGA KHAN MUSEUM
As the world’s attention turns to the unifying power of sport, the Aga Khan Museum invites everyone to rediscover play as a universal language through its recently opened exhibition, Game On!
Games have always been more than lighthearted entertainment. This exhibition delves into how games and sports continue to transcend borders, generations, and cultures, and how they connect communities through creativity, competition, and shared experiences. At its heart, Game On! is about how games shape the way we learn, think and build the kind of knowledge that influences everything from art to science and technology.
Featuring over 100 important works, including historic manuscripts, photography, contemporary installations, the exhibition transforms the familiar joy of play into a deeper conversation about identity, exchange, and human connection. Also on display are game artifacts on loan from institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Rijksmuseum.
Bita Pourvash, Curator at the Aga Khan Museum, explains it this way: “Games have long brought people together across cultures and centuries, creating shared experiences that connect us beyond borders, languages, and differences. Whether played on boards, performed through physical skill, explored via the spoken or written word, or navigated in digital worlds, games carry educational, symbolic, and social roles that shape how we learn, connect, and make meaning through play.”
Organized into three immersive sections: The Board, The Quest, and The Arena, the exhibition traces how games have travelled across cultures and centuries, evolving through exchange and adaptation while shaping traditions around the world. Through this global perspective, Game On! highlights the enduring role of play as a catalyst for creativity, connection, and dialogue. Visitors are invited to engage with stories of strategy, adventure, and competition through a rich collection of artifacts and artworks.
For example, visitors can view a nearly complete 12th-century chess set from Iran, on loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Remarkably preserved, it is considered one of the earliest surviving chess sets in the world, offering a glimpse into the long history of both craftsmanship and strategy.
Turning to a more contemporary highlight, Play it by Trust is a conceptual, all-white chess set created by the pioneering artist, Yoko Ono. It was designed to encourage cooperation rather than competition, and is the artist’s response to world events in 1966. This chessboard is meant to encourage members of the public to reflect upon peace and the many ways that people can come together. The goal is to blur the lines between “them” and “us.” Pourvash adds, “The work invites us to consider that the real significance of games lies not in victory or defeat, but in the relationships they make possible.”
Similarly, in Damask Rose, a newly commissioned piece for the exhibition, Canadian-Syrian artist Jawa El Khash explores the enduring role of games as mediums for storytelling and social exchange through a virtual simulation. Inspired by the 18th-century fountain at the Azem Palace in Damascus, this digital experience challenges players to navigate a maze-laden world while collecting a series of historical artifacts, each recalling a personal memory tied to the artist’s upbringing in Syria. “In this context, games are understood not simply as tools for interaction, but as spaces where questions of memory and representation can be explored in new ways,” offers Pourvash.
Interactive play and learning via jigsaw puzzles, chess and word games all encourage a match amongst family, friends and strangers. Recently named “Ontario’s Top Attraction,” (by public vote through Attractions Ontario) the museum’s goal is to bridge communities and foster pluralism.
“Play is a universal language that everyone understands, and the exhibition is the starting point for us to dive into how games and sports have been one of humanity’s great connectors,” said Dr. Sascha Priewe, Director, Collections and Public Programs at the Aga Khan Museum. “From talks, workshops, and festivals to family activities, performances and the public viewing of soccer games, we invite visitors to experiment with strategy, storytelling, and creativity, offering immersive ways to experience the cultural stories and artistic traditions behind games from around the world.”
The Great Canadian Jersey, a limited-time, sport-adjacent feature from Rogers Communications’ This is Our Game campaign, will be on display at the museum from June 16 to July 12, 2026. Created from textile pieces donated by hockey fans from across every Canadian province and territory, this one-of-a-kind patchwork jersey was handcrafted by designer and former Ontario Hockey League player Cameron Lizotte.
As the world comes together for this year’s international soccer event, Game On! serves as a timely reminder of sport’s singular ability to unite communities across borders and generations.
Game On! is on now until September 7. Visit: agakhanmuseum.org/gameon for more information.
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