Blog | Angela YT Chan

2021

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
Conversation with Chen Qiufan, Alice Bucknell and Angela YT Chan for The Garden and the Dump with Aarhus University

I shared a discussion with writer Chen Qiufan and artist Alice Bucknell where we chatted about worldbuilding through each of our practices. I brought up questions of justice and equality around whose worlds get built in contrast to corporate and state narratives of the future that we as creatives can/should critically engage with.

September 16, 2021

talk conference / symposium science fiction
In Both Trickles and Floods Talk for FACT Liverpool

As artist in residence for FACT, I was asked about my research into water scarcity and climate framings, through a chat with Annie Jael Kwan. 'The sound piece weaves field sound recordings and research into water scarcity and embedded power structures in cultural narratives to examine rising waters and eco-anxiety alongside strategies of hydrofeminism and radical solidarity across borders.'

September 16, 2021

talk
Rain Paradox (2021) Exhibited in Uncertain Data at FACT in Liverpool

To culminate my year-long Jerwood Arts FACT Digital Fellowship, my artwork Rain Paradox (2021) - consisting of a video in collaboration with residents across the UK and a four-part illustrated banner collection - is exhibited at FACT Liverpool. The project gathers research around climate narratives about water scarity in the UK, and I present how official and local climate framings differently influence our public views of climate change. (September 15, 2021 → October 3, 2021)

September 15, 2021

artwork exhibited in
Hybrid Space Workshop Series with 2NQ

What is the new normal? How can virtual communication reinforce communities and real-world interaction? I joined the Hybrid Space workshops, which convened a diverse group of creative and social practitioners in different places around the UK to make real world connections. Hybrid Space is an ACE-funded engagement programme by community arts organisation 2NQ which sought to learn from previous experiences of redesigning events during lockdown. We met almost weekly with group sharings and discussions on health, food, systems, neighbourhoods and climate change. (September 7, 2021 → October 5, 2021)

September 7, 2021

workshop participation collaboration
Climate Justice + SF Conference Curation for London Science Fiction Research Community

As part of the LSFRC's annual theme 'Activism and Resistance', I organised a day's conference focused on climate justice and science and speculative fictions. For Climate Justice + SF, the afternoon event featured artists, organisers and scholars working in climate justice and its themes around the world. We had a selection of workshop-style presentations and discussions, and the day concluded with a guest roundtable featuring Blanca S. Villalobos, Idman Abdurahaman and Chris Pak.

August 14, 2021

conference / symposium science fiction curation
OVEREXPOSED Podcast: Water Scarcity for Sonic Acts x JJJNNN

Ja Ja Ja Nee Nee Nee (Andrea and Arif) interviewed me on my Sonic Acts OVEREXPOSED residency research themese of water issues, power and pollutants.

August 5, 2021

interview residency
Art & Technology Series: Environment Feature by Tamar Clarke-Brown for Bloomberg x Hyundai

I talked about the role of the arts and artists in light of climate change with Tamar Clarke-Brown for the Environment edition of the Art & Technology Series. Other guests who give their insights are Lucia Pietroiusti, Brooke Singer, Olafur Eliasson and Marina Zurkow.

July 27, 2021

interview
In conversation: Land, Water, Farming, Food with with Struggles for Sovreignty for VirtuallyReality

I had the joy of inviting members of Struggles for Sovereignty: Land, Water, Farming, Food (SFS) - a Yogyakarta-based a collective platform focusing on the intersections of social and ecological justice - to discuss with me how we reach our intentions towards international solidarities through creative, people-centred projects. The topics include intersectional, intercontinental ecological activism through collective, land-based engagements. On the call were four of the ten members of SFS, which is a union of two groups - Elia Nurvista, Lista Handitya (Bakudapan Food Study Group ) and Sanne Oorthuizen and Alec Steadman (Bodies of Power /Power for Bodies).

July 20, 2021

talk
Design, Ecology and the Commons Talk for Techne Student Congress: Back to the Future, Loughborough University London

As part of the third conference day, I spoke about how the lived experiences of climate and environmental changes for minoritised communities are often counternarratives to mainstream climate stories, and that a 'commoning' of this space could shape a closer solution to being positive change. I was also in conversation with the other guest speakers Torange Khonsari , Justin Sacks and Maurizio Teli, with Pandora Syperek moderating our session.

July 7, 2021

talk conference / symposium
Resurface talks: Hypericum: A Code of Practice for AND Festival 2021

In this talk, I and Nella Arne represented the Hypericum Working Group and introduced the Hypericum: A Code of Practice, a long-term research project developing a collectively produced, ever-evolving code of practice for feminist, antiracist, anticolonial and environmentally sustainable arts organising.

July 3, 2021

talk

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

Conversation with Chen Qiufan, Alice Bucknell and Angela YT Chan for The Garden and the Dump with Aarhus University

In Both Trickles and Floods Talk for FACT Liverpool

Rain Paradox (2021) Exhibited in Uncertain Data at FACT in Liverpool

Hybrid Space Workshop Series with 2NQ

Climate Justice + SF Conference Curation for London Science Fiction Research Community

OVEREXPOSED Podcast: Water Scarcity for Sonic Acts x JJJNNN

Art & Technology Series: Environment Feature by Tamar Clarke-Brown for Bloomberg x Hyundai

In conversation: Land, Water, Farming, Food with with Struggles for Sovreignty for VirtuallyReality

Design, Ecology and the Commons Talk for Techne Student Congress: Back to the Future, Loughborough University London

Resurface talks: Hypericum: A Code of Practice for AND Festival 2021