Talks at ArtScience Museum

The museum's Talk programme goes online. Look forward to specially curated Online Talks and Conferences and a brand new short conversation series with guests known as Take 5.

Climate Conversations brings together climate scientists and ecologists from the region in a programme of talks that spotlights some of the most profound stories from the frontlines of conservation and climate innovation. Click here for more details

The first online conference is Feeling the Future. It is an online programme of talks that examines the human capacity to imagine new futures in a world where uncertainty and anxiety is prevalent. As we navigate extraordinary realities, this online series of talks engages with prominent thought leaders and futures thinkers on topical issues – ranging from emotional courage and mental wellness to social resilience and ethics – to reflect on where we are and where we could be heading.

Click here for more details.

The brand new Take 5 series will offer audiences at home glimpses into the lives of a museum staff, or a brief insight into an artwork or artefact on show in the museum.

Climate Conversations

6 Oct, 8.30pm

The series launched with a talk by Cynthia Doumbia (Director, International Exhibitions at National Geographic Society), who spoke about how this multi-year initiative harnesses storytelling to tackle the global plastic waste crisis and effect meaningful change.

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20 Oct, 5pm

Intan Suci Nurhati (senior researcher at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences’ Research Center for Oceanography and National Geographic Explorer) highlighted issues in plastics management and her recent research work on the rising tide of pandemic-driven plastic waste.

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26 Nov, 5pm

Mandy Barker (photographer and National Geographic Explorer), whose work involving marine plastic debris has received global recognition, shared how she has been working alongside marine scientists to transform data on ocean plastics into arresting collages of pollution.

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26 Jan, 5pm

Renowned conservation scientist Lian Pin Koh (Director of the Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions at National University of Singapore) joins us in the penultimate talk to speak about how a better understanding of the potential and limits of nature-based climate solutions is needed to help inform our climate policy and investment decisions.

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10 Mar, 8pm

Shawn Kaihekulani Yamauchi Lum (President of Nature Society Singapore, and Senior Lecturer, Asian School of the Environment at Nanyang Technological University) will join us in the concluding iteration in the series.

Feeling the Future Talks

4 Aug

Feeling the Future Talk with Tong Yee

Tong Yee (Co-Founder of The Thought Collective) reflects on emotional resilience and personal leadership in this season of crisis – how it tells us about who we are as societies and states, and reveals powerful wisdom if we care to look. Following his talk, Tong Yee will also be participating in a Q&A moderated by Honor Harger (Executive Director, ArtScience Museum).

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21 Jul

Feeing the Future Talk with Richard Hassell

Titled Strange Times, WOHA’s proposal for Singapore for the year 2050 is presented in the form of a highly realistic newspaper from the future at 2219: Futures Imagined. Richard will talk about the emotions and humour this provocative piece of speculative realism was designed to elicit. Following his talk, Richard will also be participating in a Q&A moderated by Nina Ernst (Associate Director, Programmes).

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7 Jul

Feeling the Future Talk with Lynn Froggett and Lizzie Muller

Lynn Froggett and Lizzie Muller speak about how exhibitions support the civic role of museums in bringing what is ‘felt’ into public conversation through a process of ‘cultural contagion’. They will also be joined by Nina Ernst (Associate Director, Programmes) in a livestream moderated conversation on 9 Jul (Thursday), 4pm.

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23 Jun

Feeling the Future Talk by Anab Jain and Jon Ardern of Superflux

Listen in as Superflux founders Anab Jain and Jon Ardern talk about how they use narrative and speculation to explore complex problems that are often discussed in terms of data and abstract projections, and why hope often works best alongside tools for proactively tackling future challenges.

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Available Online:

Feeling the Future Talk with Cheryl Chung

Join Cheryl Chung (Co-Director of Executive Education and Head of Strategic Planning at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore) as she discusses how to democratise tools for hope and impart them to youth so they can design the future. She will also be joined by Honor Harger (Executive Director, ArtScience Museum) in a livestream moderated conversation on 26 May (Tuesday), 5pm.

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Available Online

Feeling the Future Talk with Scott Smith

Scott Smith (Founder and Managing Partner of Changeist) shares practical tools for mapping out possible futures in a crisis, which might help us think about and unpack orders of impact of significant change. He will also be joined by Honor Harger (Executive Director, ArtScience Museum) in a live moderated conversation on 12 May at 5pm.

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Available Online

Feeling the Future Talk with Ariel Muller

Join Ariel Muller as she shares how we might better equip ourselves to prepare for future shocks, given what we are learning from people's responses to COVID-19.

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Learning from Home Roundtable

28 Sep, 4pm

Parents, educators and practitioners come together in Learning from Home Roundtable to share their experiences of at-home learning during COVID-19 lockdown. Join us as we discuss how this period of disruption is presenting opportunities to respond to new perspectives on parenting, teaching and learning beyond the pandemic.

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Sanveen Kang (Principal Clinical Psychologist at Psych Connect)
Bob Lee (Photographer, founder of The Fat Farmer and autism advocate)
Cherie Lim Tseng (editor with The Birthday Collective)
Victor Lim Fei (Assistant Professor at National Institute of Education)
Elaine Ng (co-founder of The Learning Connections)

Artists' Talks

15 Sep, 5pm

Artist Talk: Sara Wookey

How do our bodies navigate the many invisible rules of the public space sometimes without us even noticing? Join us as dance artist and researcher Sara Wookey considers how our bodies relate to space around us and if the new safe distancing choreography of the public space might have changed the way we move forever.

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23 Jul

Artist Talk: Blast Theory

UK-based Blast Theory creates interactive art that reveals the interconnectedness of cultural, scientific, and political issues. Join us as two of the artists from Blast Theory, Matt Adams and Nick Tandavanitj, discuss recent works relating to the flu epidemic in 1918 and SARS in 2003 that have renewed resonance in today’s pandemic world.

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Special Event: Building a more Accessible Circuit

9 June:

Livestream session at 4pm

As Singapore eases out of isolation, join us in a livestream roundtable with industry panellists as they reflect on how the circuit breaker is offering a pivotal moment to reframe conversations around access and inclusion.

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Paul Adams, Learning & Engagement Manager, Singapore Repertory Theatre
Serene Goh, Senior Programme Executive, Creative Services, Singapore Association for Mental Health
Grace Lee Khoo, Founder and Creative Development Director of Access Path Productions
Jean Loo, Co-Founder of Superhero Me