May Adadol Ingawanij's Animistic Apparatus explores Southeast Asian moving images and animism

May Adadol Ingawanij, a professor at the University of Westminster, is addressing the underrepresentation of Southeast Asian cinema and video art in local critiques through her work as a writer-curator. She provides essential theoretical insights for image makers via her writings, exhibitions, and collaborations, spotlighting artists like Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Lav Diaz, and Nguyen Trinh Thi from postcolonial and local avant-garde angles. In 2019, she curated "Animistic Apparatus," which delves into the connection between Southeast Asian moving images and animistic traditions, with a screening at this year’s Other Futures festival in Amsterdam. Her forthcoming book, "Animistic Medium: Contemporary Southeast Asian Artists Moving Image," will expand on this topic. Additionally, she co-directs the Centre for Research and Education in Arts and Media, aiming to explore new possibilities in screen relationships and promote regional artistic narratives.