EcoFutures: Planetary Thinking and Infrastructures

Arts & Research Symposium

The “Planetary Thinking and Infrastructures” arts and research symposium, is a two-day public gathering part of the EcoFutures project co-convened by David Cross and Jessica Wan with the support of University of the Arts London (UAL) and TrAIN Research Centre.

It is led by questions such as:

How can we rethink infrastructures to support care, resilience, and planetary wellbeing?

In what ways do environmental, technological, and urban systems co-shape the worlds we inhabit?

What does it mean to consider “home” as part of the wider environment we share with humans and nonhumans?

Bringing together artists, scholars, and practitioners working in Hong Kong, UK and internationally, the symposium approaches ecology and planetary thinking as intersecting lenses: ecology invites us to consider the relationships between living organisms and their environments, rethinking “home” beyond buildings to include our reciprocal ties with the world around us, while planetary thinking situates these questions within a critical, interdisciplinary framework, attending to Earth as an interconnected system and highlighting the entanglements of local and transnational, past and present, human and nonhuman.

The programme – through a series of panels, performances, and workshops – will explore how artistic research can reveal, intervene in, and reimagine an equitable planetary futures.

Friday 27 February 2026

PROGRAMME

13.00–13.15: Arrival and Registration

13.15–13.30: Welcome and Introduction by Jessica Wan and David Cross

13.30–14.30: From Hacking the Past to Queering Futures: Self, Kinship, and Ecology with Yarli Allison and Whiskey Chow. Chair: Maggie Matić (Auto Italia)

14.30–14.45: Comfort Break

14.45–15.45: Keynote Performance Lecture: Timeless (2013/2026) with David Cross

15.00–16.30: *Parallel Workshop - Engrafting Hope (limited capacity, separate registration required):

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ecofutures-workshops-tickets-1982423493033?aff=oddtdtcreator

Host: Kwan Q Li

This workshop explores essayistic filmmaking as a way of living with grief and sustaining hope when confronted with hopelessness . Through a performance lecture and guided reflection, participants encounter documentary, poetry, and artistic research as meanss of emotional storytelling and attentiveness. Participants are encouraged to bring materials from a completed project (physical or digital).

15.45–16.00: Comfort Break

16.00–17.10: Reimagining Collective Infrastructure and Resource Justice through Artists’ Films with Lee Kai Chung, Isaac Chong Wai, and Adeena Mey. Chair: Jessica Wan

17.10–17.05: Closing Notes by Angel Leung

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Saturday 28 February 2026

PROGRAMME

13.00–13.15: Arrival and Registration

13.15–13.30: Welcome and Introduction by Jessica Wan and Angel Leung

13.30–13.45: What Could EcoFutures Be? Residents’ Work Sharing with Lauren Goldie

PhD researcher at CSM, Lauren Goldie presents works developed during the EcoFutures residency, examining how speculative sculptural practice can interrupt extractive logics surrounding asteroid mining and reframe how we imagine relationships with extraterrestrial materials and environments.

13.45–15.00: Worlding Ecologies in a Relational World with Chris Cheung (XCEPT), Kwan Q Li, and Anahita Razmi Chair: Professor Paul Goodwin (Director, TrAIN)

15.00–16.30: *Parallel Workshop - Everyday Archiving (limited capacity, separate registration required):

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ecofutures-workshops-tickets-1982423493033?aff=oddtdtcreator

Host: Jocelin Kee (Asia Art Archive)

This workshop explores essayistic filmmaking as a way of living with grief and sustaining hope amid techno-positivist narratives. Through a performance lecture and guided reflection, participants encounter documentary, poetry, and artistic research as modes of emotional storytelling and attentiveness. Participants are encouraged to bring materials from a completed project (physical or digital).

15.00–15.20: Break

15.20–16.30: Time-based Media Archiving for Collective Memories with Phoebe Wong (Videotage), Charlotte Procter (LUX, Cinenova), and Anson Mak Hoi Shan (Pre-internet Era Hong Kong LGBTQ Printed Matters Digital Archive)Chair: Angel Leung

This panel discussion considers how video and oral-history archives preserve and activate collective memory across communities and generations. Speakers address challenges of access, representation, and long-term preservation, examining archiving as both historical record and a living, community-building practice.

16.30–16.35: Closing Notes by Jessica Wan

Credits and Acknowledgements

EcoFutures is an ecocritical art research project co-convened by David Cross and Jessica Wan with the support of University of the Arts London (UAL) and TrAIN.The Planetary Thinking and Infrastructures Symposium is co-curated by Angel Leung and Jessica Wan in collaboration with Videotage.

The symposium is a TrAIN associated event generously supported by Afterall and the Hong Kong Arts Development Council.

Disclaimer: The Hong Kong Arts Development Council supports freedom of artistic expression. The views and opinions expressed in this project do not represent the stand of the Council.

Accessibility

EcoFutures is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all participants. The following access provisions will be in place:

• Step-free access to the Banqueting Hall and workshop spaces
• Accessible toilets available on-site
• Seating can be rearranged to accommodate wheelchair users and access needs
• Staff available on the day to assist with access requirements
• A large print format handout is available at reception

If you have specific access needs or questions, or would like to discuss adjustments in advance, please contact Jessica Wan [j.wan@arts.ac.uk].

Practical Information

Venue Address: Banqueting Hall, Chelsea College of Arts, UAL16 John Islip Street, London SW1P 4JU, United Kingdom

Language: English Admission: Free, online registration required

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