Interplay - International Experimental Video Showcase

The second edition of the Interplay International Experimental Media Showcase invites bold and visionary artists from around the world to submit their most innovative work in video art, avant-garde and experimental short films, animation, fashion films, documentaries, and hybrid media forms. Building on the success of our inaugural 2024 edition, which featured over 40 groundbreaking works from creators across the globe, Interplay 2026 continues to provide a vital platform for experimental moving image art that challenges conventional approaches to form, technique, and storytelling.

Selected works will be presented in curated thematic programs at prestigious venues across Taicang and Suzhou, China, in collaboration with Taicang Art Museum, H+ Museum, and EDCC. Our curatorial approach emphasizes innovation, artistic excellence, and works that expand the language of moving image art, creating dynamic viewing experiences that provoke new ways of seeing.

Interplay serves as a critical bridge connecting Chinese audiences with international avant-garde practices while fostering cross-cultural dialogue and advancing experimental media as an art form. Join us in pushing the boundaries of contemporary visual culture.

Strategic Partner: Fishtank Art Studio
Partners: Taicang Art Museum, Suzhou Bay Digital Art Museum (EDCC), and H+ Museum.

About:
The Interplay International Experimental Media Showcase, was born as an initiative from the School of Cultural Technology at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University presented in collaboration with three prestigious art institutions in China: Hanshan Art Museum , Taicang Art Museum, and H+ Museum. This collaboration brings together a unique fusion of academic innovation offering a platform for cutting-edge experimental media.

The Interplay 2024 edition showcased the most innovative and exciting video works from around the world. Welcoming submissions in video art, avant-garde and experimental short films, animation, fashion films, documentaries, and more.

In November 2024, we hosted our first screening of curated programs on campus and also in downtown Taicang and Suzhou, featuring works from the next generation of visionary creators experimenting with form, technique, and storytelling.

- Media Palimpsests: An exploration of distortion, fragmentation, and the reconstruction of memory, identity, and perception. Through experimental techniques, the featured works challenge traditional storytelling by blending sound, image, and texture to create multilayered visual experiences.
Featured artists: Agustina Arrillaga Vodanovich, Carol-Ann Belzil-Normand, Gerard Bernardo, Diana Galimzyanova, Talita Florêncio, Ilya Kreines, Taravat Khalili, Toni Mitjanit, Ethann Néon, Thiago Salas, Zichen Wang

- New Narratives: Artists redefining the narrative form while exploring themes of identity, society, and emotion through unconventional structures, inviting viewers to engage with stories in fresh and innovative ways.
Featured artists: Agnieszka Waszczeniuk, Alex & Brett Fishback, Arkus, Chanwoo Jeon, Joanna Polak, João Pedro Amorim, Kiarash Dadgar, Lorenzo Silano, Qiang Chen.

- Prospective Perspectives: A glimpse into the future, showcasing emerging filmmakers who offer bold new approaches, blending traditional storytelling with modern sensibilities to capture the essence of a new generation of creatives.
Featured artists: Brody Young, Chaman Ramesh Kishan, Ekaterina Antonovna Asrieva, Elzbieta Piekacz, Jessie Elya, Marco Joubert, Marryam Khan, Marty-August Blakely Martin, Sofie Lebow, Yaoqi Huang.

- In Flux: An avant-garde collection of experimental works, groundbreaking techniques, and fearless creativity, offering viewers an immersive experience in the evolving language of visual art.
Featured artists: Chu Jia Zheng, Eléa-Aïssatou Fall, Jeremiah Chen, Mallory E. Laing, Nanxi Long, Qinyao Shen, Richard Kozák, Sidonie Auclair-Gendron, Thanut Rujitanont, Yin Chi Tsai.