Keram Malicki-Sánchez

Keram Malicki-Sanchez graduated with honors from the certificate programs in Digital Media, Cinematography and Film Producing at UCLA extension. He is director and programmer of the VRTO Virtual & Augmented Reality World Conference & Expo, and the FIVARS Festival of International Virtual & Augmented Reality Stories – both of which he founded in 2015. Malicki-Sanchez has been invited to speak about the intersection of technology and the arts for the past 25 years and has been featured in Toronto Star, CBC, New Yorker, Forbes, and has spoken at ideacity, Digital Hollywood, NAB, CNE Innovation Garage, Cinegear Expo and many more. He most recently contributed essays to two books being published in 2020: “Dyscorpia: Future Intersections of the Body and Technology,” Edited by Marilene Oliver and Daniel Laforest, Published by Dept of Art and Design, University of Alberta and “Handbook of Research on the Global Impacts and Roles of Immersive Media” (editors: Jacquelyn Ford Morie (All These Worlds, LLC, USA) and Kate McCallum (Bridge Arts Media, USA and Vortex Immersion Media, USA).

Here is an interview with Keram Malicki-Sanchez, where he shares his insights on the metaverse and his perspectives on virtual worlds.

"I see the metaverse as an equalizer—allowing people to enter from where they are, as they are, embody whatever they want, and communicate as whole individuals. It enables people to be recognized for who they truly are or how they wish to be represented. That’s its real power."

"When the metaverse attempts to create idyllic, utopian spaces, it feels like the opposite of what we truly need. What we seek is quiet, control over our environment, meaningful choices in our interactions, and exposure to the unfamiliar. I don’t know if that’s the metaverse you envision, but it’s a metaverse that should exist—one that is self-sustaining on its own merits."

"We need to expand our understanding of what the metaverse could be. That’s why we do festivals, art jams, and hackathons—to keep asking, what else? Before we rush to consolidate and productize everything, we need to explore every possibility. The metaverse may evolve into something completely unfamiliar to us now, but once we discover it, it may feel obvious in hindsight."

— Keram Malicki-Sánchez

Check out more details about Festival of International Virtual & Augmented Reality Stories (FIVARS) founded and directed by Keram: https://fivars.net/

Virtual Screening of FIVARS; image provided by FIVARS

In-Person Event of FIVARS; Photo taken by Sojung Bahng.

This panel discussion explores virtual worlds as an artistic platform, with Keram Malicki-Sanchez in conversation with Gabriel Menotti and Liam Karry.