Alan Kwan is an artist, game designer, and creator of immersive experiences working at the intersection of cinema and video games. In his practice, he explores the emotional potential of interactive media, focusing on fragility, fear, loss, and the sublime. Unlike many mainstream games, which empower players through superhuman abilities and reward systems, Kwan deliberately limits their control over the fate of the protagonists. In 2025, his latest game, Scent, premiered at the Tribeca Festival in New York and Animafest Zagreb. An earlier version of the project received an Honorary Mention at Prix Ars Electronica. Kwan also co-created the VR experience The Eyes with Kachi Chan, presented at venues including SXSW Sydney. His game Forgetter, created with Allison Yang and DSLCOLLECTION, received several industry awards, while The Hallway was acquired for the permanent collection of M+ Museum in Hong Kong. Kwan’s works have been presented at Ars Electronica Center, ZKM, Forum des images, Science Gallery Dublin, Nam June Paik Art Museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai, among others. Originally from Hong Kong, he earned his master’s degree at MIT. He is currently based in Chicago, where he is an Assistant Professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
