Blog | Angela YT Chan

2022

In Conversation: Art and Ecology Panel Talk for Henry Moore Institute

In the context of the programme for Julia Crabtree and William Evans' exhibition at Henry Moore Institute, I was in conversation with Rachel Pimm, moderated by Sophie Williamson. We discussed our arts practices through current projects, and how what challenges we witness in the overlap of working in climate-related arts.

January 5, 2022

talk

2021

Worm: art + ecology

Over 7 years, I independently produced a long-term curatorial project called Worm: art + ecology. It focused on communicating climate change justice issues through contemporary art and creative practices. I produced 5 international exhibitions under the name Worm: art + ecology, and regularly published interviews with practitioners on the website. I directly commissioned 53 artists worldwide for collaboration with project funding. When I began to deliver public workshops and talks in person, I gradually started to work under my own name, Angela YT Chan, and forming an artistic practice. (October 1, 2014 → December 31, 2021)

December 31, 2021

curation workshop talk
Research Report on UK Youth Air Pollution Projects for Wellcome Collection

I was commissioned to research youth-led air pollution activism in the UK to inform Wellcome Collection's public programming to the In the Air exhibition. After I completed writing this internal report, my activities were extended into events co-curation for programming a summer events centering young people around the themes of climate justice, health and air. (December 21, 2021 → February 3, 2022)

December 21, 2021

consultation writing / publication research working with
Finding Space Speculative Fiction published for Survey II at Jerwood Arts, London, Touring to g39 Cardiff and Site Gallery, Sheffield

Finding Space is about the movement and releasing claustrophobia by sensing the environment differently. I was commissioned to write a piece of speculative fiction for the publication by Survey II, a touring exhibition by Jerwood Arts, and in relation to exhibiting artist Saelia Aparicio's work. For the exhibition closing event in London, I and other writers Leo Hermitt, Elise Bell gave readings of our piecese to an audience. The exhibition and publication toured to Cardiff and Sheffield.

December 11, 2021

performance writing / publication science fiction
Investigating Our Histories of Art and Climate Change Workshop for Barber Home at The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Birmingham

I delivered a workshop that introduced climate history concepts through my selected artefacts from Barber's collection, including print, sculpture and painting. It aimed to use art history as a frame to connect local and global environmental changes over the years, critically discussing power across geographies and collections.

December 7, 2021

workshop
Ecological Thinking: Radar Visiting Artist at LU Arts

I joined the 2021/2022 residency cohort for Ecological Thinking at Radar, LU Arts based at Loughborough University. For the programme of artist commissions and events exploring what creative and collaborative methodologies can bring to ecological study, the residency programme works with the University's emerging interdisciplinary Environmental Humanities network. My residency focused on the Arjun Appadurai's concept of the 'right to research' as a starting point what I see as a need to deconstruct the criteria for expertise for climate issues. (November 24, 2021 → May 30, 2022)

November 24, 2021

residency
Terra Firma: The Politics of Earth Talk at Whitechapel Gallery in London

In conversation with the themes of Theaster Gates' exhibition, I was joined in discussion by Phoebe Collings-James, Kathryn Yusoff, Claire Ratinon. This is my favourite talk I've moderated; each practitioner brought their unique perspectives on the subjects of history, geology/earth, racial justice and climate colonialism, and I enjoyed finding unifying and intrictate overlaps between them - with them - sometimes in concept or in their processes.

November 18, 2021

talk
China and the West: Art, Diplomacy and Climate Cooperation Talk for KCL Lau institute

As part of the ESRC Festival of Social Sciences, I spoke about my arts practice and research on resource scarcity, conflict and colonial histories of climate change for the Lau China Institute at King's College London. I also joined a panel with the other guest speakers, artist Dr Lola Frost: Visiting Fellow in War Studies at KCL and Prof. Astrid Nordin of the KCL Lau Institute, who also described their creative outlooks on a changing environment and global relations. Here I point to artwashing in funding, art-activism, importance of arts education and barriers to accessing both arts and climate change.

November 17, 2021

talk
Visiting Artist Lecturer: BFA Fine Art at Goldsmiths College

In their studio spaces, I gave 1-1 tutor sessions with students on the BFA Fine Art course across the undergraduate year groups. I specifically offered reflections on their works in-progress with critical research approaches, more environmentally and socially 'sustainable' practices, and suggested readings for theory and artworks. (November 15, 2021 → April 20, 2022)

November 15, 2021

teaching
Learning How to Live Together: A Symbiotic View of Life Talk for Sheffield DocFest and Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) in Glasgow

As part of the Sheffield DocFest Beyond Our Own Eyes Weekender at CCA, Glasgow, I shared a panel with Suzanne Pierre of the Critical Ecology Lab, artist Gregory Herbert and Professor Katie J. Field, moderated by Jamie Allan, curator of the programme. I spoke about my practice in relation to the interdisciplinary networks it intersects, namely working as a researcher in climate policy in the context of UNCOP26 that was about to begin in the city.

November 7, 2021

talk
Beyond the Anthropocene Talk with The Parallel State for Coventry Biennial

The Parallel State is a space for collective reimagination of how to self-govern and flourish. It asks: What does the landscape look like in the Parallel State and what new epoch has emerged in a more equitable, de-colonised, post-capitalist world where humans are harmoniously entangled with nature? In my sharing, I explored how our power relations with the water cycle shapes our perceptions, stories and material resources. I also joined other guest speakers, Jo Capper, Youngsook Choi, Anna Hints, Jason Singh and Rachel Bower, in a group discussion.

November 4, 2021

talk
Turbulence / Emergence / Enchantment: A Compendium of Climate Literacies Conference Talk at Cove Park in Helensburgh, Scotland

On the occasion of UNCOP26, Cove Park launched its first and permanent enquiry focused on the environmental crisis and the radical change that our collective intelligence can affect in terms of climate action. As part of this initiation, I delivered an artist talk about my practice, touching on my methods with climate colonialism and collaborative counternarrative projects. I also attended other researchers' presentations and workshops. (November 4, 2021 → November 7, 2021)

November 4, 2021

talk conference / symposium workshop participation
Water Framings - Nourishment: A Cyclical Programme Artist Residency at Primary in Nottingham

As part of Nourishment: A Cyclical Programme, I spent a week in Nottingham as Primary's artist in resident. I continued my research into water and kinds of communal stories about the environment have been told throughout the recent history in the city. I visited the archives at The Manuscripts and Special Collections at University of Nottingham Libraries, reviewing and gathering insights on water related campaigns by local authorities, water and sewage companies and residents. The residency gave me time to develop further questions on UK public framings of environmental issues for future projects. (October 25, 2021 → October 31, 2021)

October 25, 2021

residency research
Climate Arts and Change: Creative Provocations leading to UNCOP26 Talk for Watermans Art Centre

For the Season of Change programme, Watermans Art Centre held a day symposium about climate arts and creative provocations. I gave a pre-recorded talk with prompts for critical engagements on the topics of climate justice and resourcing creative activities by minoritised artists.

October 23, 2021

talk conference / symposium
Visiting Lecturer: An Ecology of Making for at Royal College of Art in London

For the first iteration of this cross-college programme for the School of Arts & Humanities' School Group (open to students of any study discipline), painting tutor Jesse Ash and I co-led a week of workshops about environmentally and socially more responsible arts practices. (October 18, 2021 → October 22, 2021)

October 18, 2021

teaching workshop
Can Chinese Science Fiction Transcend Binary Thinking? Writing Published for the Science Fiction Research Association Review

The written version of our roundtable discussion is included in the selected papers that were delivered at the SFRA 2021 conference and now published in the SFRA Review, vol. 51, no. 4. Along with Chinese science fiction scholars Mia Chen Ma, Yen Ooi, Frederike Schneider-Vielsäcker and Regina Kanyu Wang, who offer examples from literary SF, I contributed insights into the visual arts, with how Chinese SF acts as an experimental and inclusive space for artists exploring topics of gender and a sense of identity.

October 18, 2021

writing / publication science fiction
Guest Seminar for MFA1 Artistic Research at Trondheim Academy of Fine Art, NTNU, Norway

For Nabil Ahmed's class, MFA1 Artistic Research: Theory, Practice, Methods, I gave insights to my own practice, and along with the other guest artist Craig Sinclair, offered crit feedback to the students' ongoing group project work.

October 15, 2021

teaching workshop
Reverse Synergy Talk in the Game 'ECO' for Athens Biennale

In the programme for Eclipse, the 7th Athens Biennale, the Mycological Twist invited me to speak alongside Egle Kulbokaite, Alison Sperling, Dorota Gaweda and Wassim Alsindi to respond to themes in their installation Reverse Synergy (2021). We livestreamed from in-game of ECO, where planetary collapse and rebuild were cyclical, and talked about worldbuilding where resource scarcity, power relations and the challenges of civilisation and ecologies in constant change or disruption. In my presentation, I spoke about timelines and accountability in public climate narratives including the rise of right wing agendas co-opting climate issues.

October 9, 2021

talk science fiction
The Colonial History of Climate Change Talk for Spike Island Associates

In my talk The Colonial History of Climate Change, I introduced the key concepts of the origins of climate change in relation to the rise of the British Empire. Through examples of my research-art, I talked about military history as well as contemporary climate narratives that bolster the ongoing imbalances of power that permeate the climate struggle.

October 8, 2021

talk
De-Cology: Walking in Our Mothers’ Gardens Closed Dreamscape Workshop with Ntando Cele for Complicité

I co-facilitated a 'dreamscape' workshop with [Ntando Cele](https://ntandocele.com/), a director, performer, and theatre maker based in Bern. With a small, closed group of artists and activists of the Global Majority, this workshop explored eco-feminist approaches for hope, connection and intersectionality. Our activities discussed the ancestral knowledge we practice in our everyday lives and what opportunities we saw for culture to solve climate change from our lived experiences.

September 30, 2021

workshop collaboration

In Conversation: Art and Ecology Panel Talk for Henry Moore Institute

Worm: art + ecology

Research Report on UK Youth Air Pollution Projects for Wellcome Collection

Finding Space Speculative Fiction published for Survey II at Jerwood Arts, London, Touring to g39 Cardiff and Site Gallery, Sheffield

Investigating Our Histories of Art and Climate Change Workshop for Barber Home at The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Birmingham

Ecological Thinking: Radar Visiting Artist at LU Arts

Terra Firma: The Politics of Earth Talk at Whitechapel Gallery in London

China and the West: Art, Diplomacy and Climate Cooperation Talk for KCL Lau institute

Visiting Artist Lecturer: BFA Fine Art at Goldsmiths College

Learning How to Live Together: A Symbiotic View of Life Talk for Sheffield DocFest and Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) in Glasgow

Beyond the Anthropocene Talk with The Parallel State for Coventry Biennial

Turbulence / Emergence / Enchantment: A Compendium of Climate Literacies Conference Talk at Cove Park in Helensburgh, Scotland

Water Framings - Nourishment: A Cyclical Programme Artist Residency at Primary in Nottingham

Climate Arts and Change: Creative Provocations leading to UNCOP26 Talk for Watermans Art Centre

Visiting Lecturer: An Ecology of Making for at Royal College of Art in London

Can Chinese Science Fiction Transcend Binary Thinking? Writing Published for the Science Fiction Research Association Review

Guest Seminar for MFA1 Artistic Research at Trondheim Academy of Fine Art, NTNU, Norway

Reverse Synergy Talk in the Game 'ECO' for Athens Biennale

The Colonial History of Climate Change Talk for Spike Island Associates

De-Cology: Walking in Our Mothers’ Gardens Closed Dreamscape Workshop with Ntando Cele for Complicité