Expanded Cinemateque

In recent years, spatial storytelling in XR immersive works and the concept of expanded cinema have opened new possibilities for perception, storytelling, and presence. These emerging practices invite us to rethink how images can be experienced in space and body, not only seen.Yet, despite these possibilities, I have often felt a lack of depth in how such works are presented and received—whether through curatorial frameworks in film festivals or the general expectation of “fun” and “interactivity” associated with immersive media. Many XR works that explore fragility, slowness, or critical inquiry are overshadowed by the assumption that immersion must entertain or have just high-tech novelties for geeky curators. It was from this tension that the idea for Expanded Cinemateque emerged. Expanded Cinemateque is proposed here as a seminar at KHM—dedicated to exploring XR works and the broader field of expanded cinema. It aims to create a critical and reflective space for these works, emphasizing artistic intention, narrative experimentation, and sensory composition rather than spectacle.

The name intentionally echoes the spirit of La Cinémathèque Française in Paris, a place that preserved and redefined cinema through curation, education, and dialogue. In a similar way, Expanded Cinemateque aims to become a contemporary node for XR and expanded cinema—a living archive and site of exchange where artists and audiences can engage with immersive works beyond simply their novelty-entertaining value.

During its first semester, Expanded Cinemateque will host a series of curated screenings and discussion sessions. Each week, one artist will be invited to present an XR or expanded cinema piece, followed by an open dialogue with participants. These encounters will foreground questions of perception, embodiment, and authorship, and reflect on how cinema can be expanded beyond the screen into space, gesture, and somatic experience. Ultimately, Expanded Cinemateque seeks to grow into a larger initiative—an ongoing laboratory of thought and practice where XR and experimental cinema intersect.