Writer: Po-Hsun, Yuan | Editor: Ming-feng,Chiang

Today's lecture focuses on a German abstract experimental animation artist, Max Hattler. His work spans animation, video, light sculpture, and generative art, and his style is known for geometry, rhythm, symmetry, and musicality, making him one of the leading figures in contemporary abstract animation. The lecture centers on "The Possibilities of Abstract Experimental Animation," and includes a screening of sixteen short films, all exploring how Hattler uses digital technology to reconstruct human perception and visual language, starting from the historical context of visual music.

Max Hattler was born in Ulm, Germany, and was influenced from a young age by his father, jazz-rock musician Hellmut Hattler, which instilled in him a love of music and a connection to animation.
Unlike most animation directors, Hattler never starts with "narrative." He admits, "I'm not good at storyboarding; I prefer to express myself through music." He converts images into sound to create a harmonious blend of abstract visuals and background music. This aesthetic of "visual music" enables his animation to go beyond traditional narratives.

In his lecture, Max Hattler shared his creative process: no scriptwriting, no storyboarding, just setting a concept and rules, then progressing through experimentation, testing, and random generation. He humorously described storyboarding as "a form of slavery," restricting the free growth of the visuals.
Hattler prefers to construct geometric structures directly in Photoshop and After Effects, sometimes using photographs and geometric shapes, sometimes using sound to drive the visuals.
However, the removal of narrative brings unexpected effects to the animation. Through the symbolism of geometry, Max Hattler subtly addresses social issues such as protests against mainstream aesthetic hegemony, geopolitical conflicts, and ideological clashes.

Regarding the use of technology, Hattler also shared his views on generative art and artificial intelligence. He admitted to using Midjourney as teaching material in his classes, to teach students about new tools and to show that technological change is not about replacement, but about the expansion of art.

Throughout the lecture, Hattler's thinking revolved around "abstract freedom"—how to free images from narrative constraints, and return to rhythm and perception itself. He believes that abstract animation can awaken viewers’ sensitivity through form and sound, breaking down inherent visual perception patterns and allowing them to enter a realm of intuitive understanding beyond narrative.

At the end of the lecture, he concluded with one sentence: "Abstraction is not about distancing oneself from the world, but rather another way of seeing it." This statement reveals the core of his artistic view—finding rhythm between geometric order and chaotic vibrancy in human perception.