EcoFutures: Planetary Thinking and Infrastructures

TrAIN Research Centre

Chelsea College of Arts

The “Planetary Thinking and Infrastructures” arts and research symposium, is a two-day public gathering as part of the EcoFutures project co-convened by David Cross and Jessica Wan with the support of University of the Arts London (UAL) and the Research Centre for Transnational Art, Identity and Nation (TrAIN).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, performance-lectures, and workshops – will explore how artistic research can reveal, intervene in, and reimagine an equitable planetary futures.Friday 27 February 2026PROGRAMME13.00–13.15: Arrival and Registration13.15–13.30: Welcome and Introduction by Jessica Wan and David Cross13.30–14.30: From Hacking the Past to Queering Futures: Self, Kinship, and Ecology with Yarli Allison and Whiskey Chow Chair: Maggie Matić (Auto Italia)This panel discussion brings together queer artistic practices and ecological thinking to explore how alternative futures are imagined, embodied, and sustained. Through the work of two non-binary East Asian artists based in the UK, the discussion considers ecology not as a backdrop but as an active, entangled system shaping queer lives, cultural production, and collective care.14.30–14.45: Comfort Break14.45–15.45: Performance Lecture: Timeless (2013/2026) with David CrossThis work centres on a single take of video from a fixed camera looking East from the top of the Shard building in London. Interweaving natural history and social history, ‘Timeless’ framed an emerging ecological anxiety from an urban vantage point. Today it invites reflection on the relationship between continuity and change over the intervening years.15.00–16.30: *Parallel Workshop - Engrafting Hope (limited capacity, separate registration required <a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ecofutures-workshops-tickets-1982423493033?aff=oddtdtcreator" title="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ecofutures-workshops-tickets-1982423493033?aff=oddtdtcreator">here</a>) Host:Kwan Q LiThis workshop explores essayistic filmmaking as a way of living with grief and sustaining hope.Through a performance lecture and guided reflection, participants encounter documentary, poetry, and artistic research as meanss of emotional storytelling and attentiveness.15.45–16.00: Comfort Break16.00–17.10: Reimagining Collective Infrastructures and Resource Justice through Artists’ Films with Lee Kai Chung, Isaac Chong Wai, and Adeena Mey (Afterall) Chair: Jessica WanThis panel discussion examines how contemporary artists rethink the collective infrastructures—physical, social, and environmental—that shape ecological realities. Through moving-image practices and site-specific research, speakers explore hidden dynamics of resource extraction, circulation, and inequity, and consider how artistic practices can foster new imaginaries of collective responsibility and resource justice.17.10–17.15: Closing Notes by Angel Leung Saturday 28 February 2026PROGRAMME13.00–13.15: Arrival and Registration13.15–13.30: Welcome and Introduction by Jessica Wan and Angel Leung13.30–13.45: What Could EcoFutures Be? Residents’ Work Sharing with Lauren GoldiePhD researcher and sculptor at CSM, Lauren Goldie presents works developed during the 2025 EcoFutures digital 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), Queenie Kwan Q Li, and Anahita Razmi Chair: Professor Paul Goodwin (TrAIN)This panel explores how artists engage with ecological data and systems through technological, biological, and geopolitical lenses. Presentations will examine how urban growth, AI-driven projects, and global infrastructures intersect with environmental conditions. Speakers explore themes of resilience, persistence, and resistance in both human and non-human ecologies, challenging the boundaries between biological, technological, and political spheres.15.00–16.30: *Parallel Workshop - Everyday Archiving (limited capacity, separate registration required <a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ecofutures-workshops-tickets-1982423493033?aff=oddtdtcreator" title="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ecofutures-workshops-tickets-1982423493033?aff=oddtdtcreator">here</a>) 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.15.00–15.20: Comfort Break15.20–16.30: 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 Material Digital Archive) Chair: Angel LeungThis 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 WanCredits and AcknowledgementsEcoFutures 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. AccessibilityEcoFutures is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all participants. The following access provisions will be in place:<ul><li>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]</li><li>Step-free access to the Banqueting Hall and workshop spaces</li><li>Accessible toilets available on-site</li><li>Seating can be rearranged to accommodate wheelchair users and access needs</li><li>Staff available on the day to assist with access requirements</li><li>A large print format handout is available at reception</li></ul>Language: English Admission: Free, online registration required --------

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EcoFutures: Planetary Thinking and Infrastructures

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