Altar-n8 Realm x AAIFF 


Interactive Virtual Gallery

RENDERING REAL - AAIFF
New Art City
2022




The Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) celebrated it's retrospective with REAL: Explorations of Asian American and Asian Diasporic Archives, an online virtual exhibition featuring 11 artists and 4 organizations selected as part of the new media category. The new media category is an extension and expansion of the AAIFF’s dedication to support Asian and Asian diasporic artists working with newer forms of media and the moving image that fall out of the bounds of traditional cinema. AAIFF looks to these artists to understand how storytelling can take shape in newer forms fit for the digital age.
 
Macro Waves was invited to partiicpate with the project Altar-n8 Realm.  With this project we had the opportunity to transform the experience into a virtual interactive gallery experience. The original Altar-n8 Realm Project debuted at the 24th Annual United States of Asia America Festival: Forging Our Futures, presented in partnership with the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center in 2021. This project featured conversational interviews with five Chinatown-based small businesses, Chinatown Kite Shop, Li Ly’s Hair Salon, Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory, Little Paris, and Washington Bakery and Restaurant.

Macro Waves members, Anum Awan, Dominic Cheng, Robin Birdd David, and Jeffrey Yip, in collaboration with artists Alice Yuan Zhang and Qianqian Ye created AR art altar installations inspired by conversations with each business owner. In collaboration with Broad Target, The Altar-n8 Realm Project released a mini-documentary series examining the diverse lived experiences of these five Chinatown business owners and their journey before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. 


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© Macro Waves Est. 2015