An Evening With Alan Kwan
Alan Kwan, Scent, 2017–24. Courtesy of the artist.
Working at the crossroads of cinema and new media, artist and video game designer Alan Kwan creates immersive and enigmatic games designed to elicit feelings of heartbreak, anguish, fear, and the sublime. In recent years, he’s subverted the violent tropes of mass market games—war and apocalyptic landscapes—to explore the ways we make meaning of our lives. Kwan presents a hybrid talk and screening, followed by a live playthrough of the latest version of his award-winning game, Scent (2017–24).
2016–24, France, Germany, Korea, Hong Kong, USA
Digital and live game playthrough
In French, German, and English with English subtitles
60 minutes followed by a conversation with the artist
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Alan Kwan is an artist, game designer, and technologist based in Chicago. He is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Film, Video, New Media, and Animation of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His work has been exhibited at Ars Electronica Festival in Linz, Austria; ZKM Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe, Germany; the 404 International Festival of Art and Technology in Rosario, Argentina; and the Vector Game Art Festival in Toronto, among others. He’s received multiple awards for his projects, including the Honorary Mention at Prix Ars Electronica for his ongoing game project SCENT. His work has been critically discussed in various media including in WIRED Italia, Popular Science, the Boston Globe and on the Discovery Channel.
ACCESSIBILITY
Conversations at the Edge events have live captions (CART). The Gene Siskel Film Center is fully ADA accessible and its theaters are equipped with hearing loops. For other accessibility requests, please visit saic.edu/access or write cate@saic.edu
TICKETS
$13 General public
$8 Students & seniors
$6.50 Film Center members
$5 SAIC staff & faculty & AIC staff
FREE for SAIC students with a valid ID
All CATE programs are free for SAIC students. Unless otherwise noted, SAIC student tickets are released five days prior to showtime. Tickets must be picked up in person from the Gene Siskel Film Center box office. A student ID is required.
RESOURCE GUIDES
Conversations at the Edge’s resource guides contain articles, interviews, and other material related to upcoming artists and events. Available here.