The Abstracted Real: Speculations on Experimental Animated Documentary

Max Hattler is an artist, researcher, curator and educator who works with abstract and experimental animation, video installa­tion, and audio-visual performance. After studying in London at Goldsmiths and the Royal College of Art, he completed a doc­torate in fine art at the University of East London. He is an assistant professor at the School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong. Hattler’s work has been shown worldwide, receiving prizes from Annecy Animation Festival, Prix Ars Electronica, Montreal Festival du Nouveau Cinéma, Punto y Raya Festival, Cannes Lions and London International Animation Festival, among others. He has published on expanded stereoscopic approaches in experimental filmmaking and the narrative potential of abstraction in animation. He has spoken widely at international conferences such as CONFIA, the Society for Animation Studies Conference, Animafest Scanner, Ars Electronica’s Expanded Animation Symposium and the Annual China Animation Studies Conference in Chengdu. Max Hattler is the co-founder and chairman of Relentless Melt, a Hong Kong-based society for the promotion, production and dissemination of abstract and experimental animation, which presents screenings in Hong Kong and internationally. He serves on the board of directors of the iotaCenter and the editorial boards of Animation: An Interdisciplin­ary Journal, and Animation Practice, Process & Production.