Another Kingdom – Backgammon Set by Taras Yoom, Yoomoota Art Universe

Rarity and Collectible Value

Another Kingdom is a limited-edition backgammon set by Taras Yoom, produced in only 21 examples. The work expands the artist’s established Another Kingdom gaming series, which began with sculptural chess sets and later developed into a broader exploration of traditional games as collectible art objects. The official Yoomoota documentation confirms the edition of 21 and identifies the materials as metal, plastic, acrylic and wood.

Its collectible appeal lies in the combination of functional gameplay, sculptural presentation and restricted production. Rather than treating backgammon as a conventional board game, Yoom transforms it into a narrative object in which every checker, surface and visual trace contributes to a larger metaphor of decision-making and chance. Each set is also equipped with an NFC chip that functions as a digital certificate of authenticity and provenance.

Origin and Conceptual Context

Another Kingdom marks the first backgammon set within the Yoomoota gaming line. It continues the narrative established by the artist’s earlier chess projects, where opposing kingdoms function as metaphors for rivalry, strategy and human behavior. In the backgammon interpretation, however, the conceptual emphasis shifts toward speed, uncertainty and the constant interaction between deliberate action and uncontrollable circumstance.

The game itself becomes an allegory for life. A player can calculate, plan and choose a route across the board, yet every move remains dependent on the roll of the dice. Yoom translates this tension directly into the design: the internal composition suggests movement and acceleration, while irregular circular marks across the exterior evoke trajectories, collisions or traces left by chance. The official project description explicitly connects these marks with randomness and the inner pattern with the dynamics of play.

Craftsmanship and Decoration

The photographed set presents a striking contrast between its closed and opened states. When folded, the exterior resembles a sculptural case with a pale blue-grey surface covered by coral, violet, black and yellow circular impressions. These rings vary in size and density, creating the impression of impacts, ripples or marks generated by repeated motion. Rounded edges, dark side panels and a small integrated handle reinforce the appearance of a compact design object rather than a traditional board game.

When opened, the interior reveals a highly elaborate backgammon field. The playing surface is built from elongated triangular points with dotted textures, concentric circles and jewel-like details in turquoise, pink, yellow, violet and blue. The central division is marked by a row of multicolored circular forms, while the checkers themselves appear as small sculptural characters or biomorphic discs rather than conventional counters.

The production process combines detailed 3D printing, molding, sculpting, polymer casting, manual finishing and acrylic painting. Contemporary coverage of the work also notes the handcrafted character of the checkers and the use of custom dice. This combination of digital fabrication and hand finishing is characteristic of Yoomoota objects, where industrial precision is intentionally balanced with the individuality of a hand-worked surface.

Human Touch

Taras Yoom’s approach to design often begins with human psychology and behavior rather than with decoration alone. In Another Kingdom, backgammon becomes a model of how people act under conditions they cannot fully control. Strategy matters, but so do timing, risk, instinct and the unpredictable outcome of every throw.

That duality gives the work its strongest conceptual layer. The player is never completely passive, yet never completely in command. Each move reflects personal choice, while the dice introduce an external force capable of redirecting the entire game. Yoom has described backgammon as carrying a particular energy built from risk, tempo and excitement, qualities that he connects directly with the experience of navigating life.

The object therefore exists simultaneously as a functional game, a sculptural collectible and a metaphor for human decision-making. In its closed state it appears almost restrained and mysterious; once opened, it becomes vivid, complex and kinetic. This transformation is central to the work’s appeal and reflects the broader logic of the Yoomoota universe, where familiar objects are reimagined as characters and symbolic systems representing different aspects of human existence.