Foundation for Asian American Independent Media

April 2-June 30, 2004
Gene Siskel Film Center
Curated by Larry Lee and Eric Nakamura of Giant Robot Magazine

Featuring Jaishri Abichandani, Drew Ee, Anida Esguerra, Greg Grucel, Ciara Intengan, Buck Fon Hing, Tim Hugh, Jung Mee Jaimie Kim, Tomoko Kawanaka, Ann Marie Lickteig, Laura Kina, Suraiya Nathani, My-Linh Ngyuen, Dale Parachelles, Ann Poochareon, Ruben Sun, Howie Tsui, Omar Vera, Amy Weng, Ray Yang and Chien Yuan.

"Coming Soon..." explores the influences and impact of film globally and Hollywood specifically on Asian and Asian American culture and vice versa through the eyes of Generation X and younger. The role film as a whole plays through moving images and spoken words in shaping ideas of the American or European mythos is inescapable. Ideologies of who represents the hero or heroine and what is the perfect or imperfect society abound, propagated by the directorial and sometimes auteuristic visions reflecting if not determining the prevailing moods of the people, place or times. But beyond the politics of representation is the worn terrain where these tropes of stereotypes still reign. So how do these issues translate for the so-called second baby boom wave fluent in pop cultural language and mass media savvy? Given their sense of the postmodern, what are the effects on their world within this context? The artwork within this show not only harbingers anotheroutlook borne of computers, anime, MTV and digital technology, but just as importantly invites viewers attending the film festival to further narrow the gap between art, life and cinema.

Laura Kina
Hapa Soap Opera #1
(movie poster version)
Digital inkjet print in rear-lit movie poster marquee with flashing lights
35” x 50” x 4”
2003

Jaishri Abichandani
Series: Under the Western Sky; Image: Ashu & Atij
C-print
20” x 24”
2003

Howie Tsui
Rock Action
Mixed media on canvas
48" x 30"
2002