M+ CHANEL Festival Explores Space in Asian Avant-Garde Cinema

The third edition of the M+ Asian Avant-Garde Film Festival (AAGFF), supported by CHANEL, concluded on May 31st after three days of programming that explored space as both an artistic principle and a geopolitical subject. This year's festival, themed "Space Enter Shift," featured a world premiere of ‘Lamya Gargash × Vivian Wang: Tracking Nomadism (Live)’, a new live cinema collaboration commissioned and supported by Chanel. Other highlights included Rirkrit Tiravanija’s interactive ping-pong installation and screenings of significant works by artists Nam June Paik and Xu Bing.

Now in its third year, the AAGFF has established itself as a key platform in Asia for experimental film and moving image art, bringing together independent filmmakers, artists, and creative communities from across the region. The festival's thematic progression from last year's focus on time to this year's exploration of space aimed to examine how space influences composition, perspective in artmaking, the development of lens-based technologies, and contemporary geopolitical realities.

Silke Schmickl, CHANEL Senior Curator and Head of Moving Image at M+ in Hong Kong, reflected on the programming, stating that "Space is a critical principle of artmaking in all media and particularly interesting in lens-based media where artists have challenged the frame through expanded cinema and now ‘frameless’ immersion." The festival's title, "Space Enter Shift," was designed as an invitation for audiences to engage with the festival's space and experience a shift in perspective, playfully referencing essential keyboard keys that control input and modification in digital environments.

The festival's focus on space extended to its engagement with technology in the creation and reception of time-based art forms. Schmickl highlighted how artists have utilized and challenged the concept of the frame in lens-based media, moving towards expanded cinema and immersive, 'frameless' experiences. This approach underscores the festival's commitment to showcasing innovative and forward-thinking cinematic practices within the Asian avant-garde scene.