NTU CCA IdeasFest 2023

NTU Centre for Contemporary Art (NTU CCA) Singapore and the Future Cities Laboratory (FCL) Global, Singapore-ETH Centre (SEC) are pleased to announce the programme and participants for the third edition of the NTU CCA IdeasFest 2023 titled “FOOD Eat. Secure. Sustain.” taking place in Singapore from February 16 to 19, 2023. 

Building upon NTU CCA Singapore’s long-term research theme “Climates. Habitats. Environments”, NTU CCA IdeasFest FOOD Eat.Secure.Sustain contemplates on the urgency of food ecosystems, climate awareness and solutions for a sustainable future. As a platform that features new and “out-of-the box” initiatives, the four-day summit explores pathways towards actionable steps that aim at securing the future of food supply.

Invited participants and interested public are encouraged to share and engage in cooperative projects through a conference, workshops, site visits, and displayed researches. The diversity of programmes of NTU CCA IdeasFest 2023 FOOD Eat. Secure. Sustain. features flash lectures by artist-led projects, start-up initiatives, and scientific research to stimulate cross disciplinary dialogues with Singapore’s aspiration to meet 30% of its nutritional requirements domestically by 2030 collectively and individually in mind.

The summit centers around topics and themes relating to Food Ecosystems, Urban Food Alternatives, Non-Conventional Food Sources and Food Industries through a series of conversations and lectures, featuring over fifteen international and Singapore-based projects presented by architects, artists, researchers, and community leaders. These including Paula Huerta (Spain/ Indonesia), Adeline Kueh (Singapore), Irene Agrivina (Indonesia), Prof. William Chen (Singapore), Prof. Carlos Banon (Spain/Singapore), Britto Arts Trust (Bangladesh), Karen Shepherd (Malaysia) and the Good Food Institute (APAC). Eleven workshops invite direct experience and engagement. “To Gathering: Food Flows” is a workshop by artist Alecia Neo (Singapore), Ground-Up Initiative (Singapore), and Madhumitha Ardhanari (Singapore), a Principal Sustainability Strategist at Forum for the Future, that contemplates on how we can connect through food stories, heritage and traditional food systems in creative ways. An afternoon workshop offers a “Salmon” tea sandwich experience by artist Hoo Fan Chon (Malaysia) and intends to prompt a conversation on salmon as a class symbol across Southeast Asia. Whereas a workshop by Dr. Keri Matwick (US/Singapore) Lecturer, School of Humanities NTU and Dr. Kelsi Matwick (US/Singapore), Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Florida on “How Food Media Affect What We Eat” encourages to reflect on food information in the media and to identify what influences our choices and behavior around food.

Further participants include Native’s Joy Chee, Resident Bartender and Gardener at Native Bar, Saad Chinoy (Singapore) Co-Founder SpudnikLab, Storytellers’ Kitchen, and EdibleMakerspace, Dr. Francka Cole (UK/Malaysia), Consultant in Conservation and Archaeology, Sarawak Museum, Lecturer NTU ADM, Dr. Iris Haberkorn (Germany/Singapore) Senior Researcher and Project Lead, Singapore-​ETH Centre (SEC), Hans Hortig (Austria/Singapore), Doctoral Researcher, Future Cities Lab Global (FCL-G), Singapore-ETH Centre (SEC), Alba Lombardia (Spain/Singapore), PhD researcher, Architecture and Sustainable Design, Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), Niraly Mangal (India/Singapore), Doctoral researcher, Singapore-ETH Centre (SEC), Valerie Pang (Singapore), Innovation Associate, The Good Food Institute (GFI) APAC, Byron Perez (Ecuador/Singapore), Doctoral Researcher Singapore-ETH Centre (SEC), Mahbubur Rahman (Bangladesh), Artist, Co-founder and Trustee, Britto Arts Trust, Raine Melissa Riman (Malaysia), Co-curator, E.A.T Borneo Conference, media strategist and social media lead, What About Kuching Festival, Prof. Thomas Schroepfer (Germany/Singapore), Co-Director, Future Cities Lab Global (FCL-G), Singapore-ETH Centre (SEC) and Professor of Architecture and Sustainable Design, SUTD, Dr. Zhang Qianning (China/Singapore), Principal Investigator, Building Integrated Agriculture, NUS, Firdaus Sani (Singapore), Founder Oranglaut.sg and The Black Sampan, Shimul Saha (Bangladesh), Artist, Trustee, Britto Arts Trust, Bianca Wassmann (Germany/Philippines), Doctoral Researcher, Singapore-​ETH Centre (SEC), Dr. Christoph Waibel (Germany/Singapore), Module coordinator, Powering the City,  Future Cities Lab Global (FCL-G), Dr. Huang Zhaolu (China/Singapore), Research fellow, Building Integrated Agriculture, NUS, Dr. Shi Zhongming (China/Singapore), Principal Investigator, Building Integrated Agriculture,  Future Cities Lab Global (FCL-G).

The summit’s conference takes place at CREATE Tower, NTU CCA Singapore will host workshops and exhibitions. Site visits will take place across Singapore. 

NTU CCA IdeasFest 2023 FOOD Eat. Sustain. Secure. is conceived and organized by Prof. Ute Meta Bauer, Founding Director, NTU CCA Singapore and Professor, School of Art, Design and Media (ADM), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore, Magdalena Magiera, Curator and Research Associate, NTU CCA Singapore, as well as Laura Miotto, Associate Professor, School of Art, Design, and Media (ADM), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore, and Prof. Dr. Thomas Schroepfer, Co-Director, Future Cities Lab (FCL) Global, Singapore-ETH Centre (SEC), Dr. Tanvi Maheshwari, Associate Director (Research), Future Cities Lab (FCL) Global, Singapore-ETH Centre (SEC).

For the full outline of NTU CCA IdeasFest 2023 FOOD Eat. Secure. Sustain. schedule, updates and more information, please visit the website, Eventbrite and relevant social media platforms.