Climate Futures #2: Belonging and Shared Responsibilities

The three-day summit Climate Futures #2: Belonging and Shared Responsibilities is the second convening of the Climate Futures series conceived by NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore, in partnership with KONNECT ASEAN. Following the success of its first iteration, the current edition brings together 21 artists, curators, scientists, architects, NGO workers, and policy makers to expand discussions on the decline of cultural and ecological diversity in the region. This continues to map how the climate crisis informs our contemporary world, and how diverse cultures can adjust or adapt without losing a sense of identity. In the presence of ASEAN policy makers, participants from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand will examine how the endangerment of traditional cultures and knowledges affects the region. Following the flow of climate related issues through regional waterways and straits, from the Mekong River and Delta to the Straits of Malacca, the significance of environmental features in the shared histories of the region further contribute to alternative understandings of regional connectivity.

During Climate Futures #1, it became clear that ecological and cultural precarity were complex issues requiring space and time to process, and for a multivocality of narratives and practices from those impacted the most to be heard. Focusing on the importance of cultural knowledge and biodiversity, the line-up of case studies in Climate Futures #2 serves to uplift these voices and the vibrant strategies of cultural resilience and creative adaptation adopted by local communities across the region in the face of daunting ecological challenges. At the same time, Climate Futures seeks to go beyond the status quo of current modes of operating, and provides critical platforms to nurture deeper understandings of necessary changes in the dynamics of responsibility and accountability between state and institutional bodies, and communities outside of these structures who bear the brunt of the climate crisis. The future of our shared prosperity relies on our collective ability to create an inclusive and sustainable foundation for growth.

Climate Futures #2 comprises of contributions by artist Nice Buenaventura (Philippines); UNESCO culture related conventions advocate Kamonrat Mali Chayamarit (Thailand); technical coordinator certified sustainable palm oil, Forever Sabah Institute Philip Chin (Malaysia); artist Binna Choi (South Korea); architect, co-founder, design director all(zone) ltd Rachaporn Choochuey (Thailand); artist Kiri Dalena (Philippines); project manager OSMOSE Sovann Ke (Cambodia); architect, artist Phonepaseth Keosomsak (Laos); Technical Coordinator Watersheds and Communities, Forever Sabah Institute Claudia Lasimbang (Malaysia); lecturer, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Eva Lloyd (Australia); director, PetaBencana.id Nashin Mahtani (Indonesia); chief executive facilitator Forever Sabah Institute, LEAP Cynthia Ong (Malaysia); curator Gahee Park (South Korea); Strengthening Climate Resilience Project Manager, Oxfam Mekong Regional Water Governance Program Daovone Phonemanichane (Laos); artist Som Supaprinya (Thailand); artist, director, Blue Art Centre Sareth Svay (Cambodia), artist Lyno Vuth (Cambodia); head of arts, Wonderfruit Festival Bow Wasinondh (Thailand); artist and writer Jason Wee (Singapore); artist Yee I-Lann (Malaysia); and artist Malin Yim (Cambodia).

Climate Futures #2 is conceived by Professor Ute Meta Bauer, founding director and Magdalena Magiera, curator Residencies and Porgrammes, NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore, in partnership with Konnect ASEAN.

NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore Situated within Singapore’s premier art precinct Gillman Barracks, NTU CCA Singapore is a pioneering institution that has been instrumental in shaping the contemporary art landscape in Singapore and beyond. With a focus on fostering creativity, innovation, and critical thinking, the Centre’s programmes have consistently challenged the status quo, encouraging artists to explore new realms of artistic expression.

KONNECT ASEAN The Republic of Korea celebrated 30 years of diplomatic relations with ASEAN in 2019. In the same year the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund (AKCF) supported KONNECT ASEAN—An ASEAN-Korea Arts Programme. Administered by the ASEAN Foundation, the ASEAN Secretariat’s strategic public diplomacy instrument, KONNECT ASEAN signals both an eagerness by ASEAN to revitalize its once integral role in contemporary visual arts and the Republic of Korea’s sincerity in establishing closer ties with ASEAN.