Biodiversity]]> Oceans & Seas]]> Nature]]> Ecology]]> Ecosystems]]> Following the lecture “Knowing the Reef: Community Insight and Scientific Understanding” on 26 August 2025, the first gathering of our second cycle of the Climate Transformation Gatherings will take us on a behind-the-scenes tour of the coral culture facilities at the St John's Island National Marine Laboratory (SJINML) led by the Tropical Marine Science Institute. Join us to better understand Singapore's coral restoration initiatives.

Saturday, 4 October 2025
8:30 – 11:30am

Climate Transformation Gatherings (Nov 2024 - May 2026)

About the Climate Transformation Gatherings

Extended from the Climate Transformation Sustainable Societies Lecture Series, the Climate Transformation Gatherings consolidates critical concepts and ideas around various environmental themes and theories. These gatherings take various formats including open-discussion seminars, reading groups, workshops and guided tours to engage interested members of the public on various environmental issues.

About the Team

The Climate Transformation: Sustainable Societies Series is organised by members of the Climate Transformation Programme (CTP) Cross-Cutting Theme 1: Sustainable Societies research team, Principal Investigator Professor Ute Meta Baue, research fellow Joshua Gebert, research associate Ng Mei Jia and research assistant Angela Ricasio Hoten.

This series is supported by the Singapore Ministry of Education Academic Research Fund Tier 3 grant[MOE-MOET32022-0006] for the Climate Transformation Programme.

]]> Southeast Asia]]> Ecology]]> Ecosystems]]> Biodiversity]]> Animals]]> Artistic Research]]> Ways of Seeing]]> Join us for an interactive workshop led by Eleanor Slade's research team (Tropical Ecology and Entomology Lab, NTU) and artist and insect conservation educator Wendy Zhang. In this gathering, we practice the 'arts of noticing' - using microscopes, participants will analyse insect morphology and make sense of all the little things that differentiate insect species. Through hands-on artistic exploration, participants will gain a better understanding of the little critters that play a vital role to our ecosystems.

This workshop is part of the Climate Transformation: Sustainable Societies Series. This workshop is an extension of the previous Climate Transformation: Sustainable Societies lecture "Invisible Engineers: Insects’ Role in Singapore’s ‘City in Nature" held on 11 March 2025, 6:30PM – 8:30PM at NTU CCA Singapore.

Tuesday Gathering (Workshop Edition)
8 April 2025, 6:30pm – 8:30pm
The Hall, NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore,
Block 6 Lock Road, #01-09 Gillman Barracks, Singapore, 108934

Climate Transformation Gatherings (Nov 2024 - May 2026)

About the Climate Transformation Gatherings

About the Team

This series is supported by the Singapore Ministry of Education Academic Research Fund Tier 3 grant [MOE-MOET32022-0006] for the Climate Transformation Programme.

]]> Eleanor Slade
]]> Wendy Zhang]]> Southeast Asia]]> Activism]]> Biodiversity]]> Climate Crisis]]> Coexistence]]> Ecology]]> Ecosystems]]> Environmental Crisis]]> Education]]> The Anthropocene]]> Oceans & Seas]]> Sustainability]]> Coastal communities and island populations, such as those in Singapore and Bintan, are increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, particularly sea level rise. Coral reefs play a critical role as natural breakwaters, aiding to defend against coastal erosion. However, their survival is threatened by the implications of Singapore’s urbanisation on Bintan —through economic and touristic development—, alongside overfishing, rising sea temperatures, and the potential runoff impacts of industrial developments such as petrochemical plants. The lecture opens with a presentation by Professor Ute Meta Bauer (School of Art, Design and Media, NTU) on sea-based livelihoods in the Riau Archipelago and features lectures by coral restoration diver Rudi (Bintan Black Coral Dive) and Associate Professor Peter Todd, (Experimental Marine Ecology Laboratory, NUS; Director, Tropical Marine Science Institute, NUS) , with a response by Dr Karenne Tun (Director, Coastal and Marine Branch, National Biodiversity Centre, NParks) and moderated by Associate Professor Laura Miotto (School of Art, Design and Media, NTU). The session explores current coral restoration projects initiated by Rudi in Bintan, including nature-based solutions, highlighting their significance for coastal communities reliant on reef coastlines for their livelihood. Returning to urban Singapore, Associate Professor Todd will discuss eco-engineered seawalls that function as surrogates for natural habitats, supporting coral growth while simultaneously serving as coastal defense structures against rising tides.

Tuesday Lecture

26 August 2025

6:30pm – 8:00pm

The Hall, NTU CCA Singapore

Climate Transformation: Sustainable Societies Lecture Series Cycle 2 (Aug 2025 - May 2026)

About the Climate Transformation: Sustainable Societies Lecture Series

The series returns for its second cycle in the Academic Year 2025-26. Each session features researchers from the Climate Transformation Programme, alongside contributors from other academic fields, as well as artists, architects and advocates. In this second iteration, the lecture series is framed with policy relevance in mind, with respondents from various government agencies, non-governmental organisations, and other relevant industries offering immediate commentary.

About the team

The Climate Transformation: Sustainable Societies Series is organised by members of the Climate Transformation Programme (CTP) Cross-Cutting Theme 1: Sustainable Societies research team, Principal Investigator Professor Ute Meta Bauer, research fellow Joshua Gebert, research associate Ng Mei Jia and research assistant Angela Ricasio Hoten.

Sustainable Societies
Principal Investigator, Professor Ute Meta Bauer (NTU ADM)
Principal Investigator, Associate Professor Laura Miotto (NTU ADM)
Principal Investigator, Professor Dr Thomas Schroepfer (SUTD)

This Lecture Series is supported by the Singapore Ministry of Education Academic Research Fund Tier 3 grant [MOE-MOET32022-0006] for the Climate Transformation Programme. 

]]> Ute Meta Bauer
]]> Rudi
]]> Peter Todd
]]> Karenne Tun
]]> Laura Miotto]]> Southeast Asia]]> Asia]]> Animals]]> Biodiversity]]> Climate Crisis]]> Ecology]]> Ecosystems]]> Environmental Crisis]]> Sustainability]]> Rising temperatures induced by climate change as well as land-use development are two of the biggest threats to insect populations globally in what has been referred to as the “insect apocalypse.” Here in Singapore, a decline in insect populations could threaten the ecological diversity of our parks and reserves and diminish critical food sources for the migratory land birds that annually visit Singapore in places such as the Botanic Gardens and Pasir Ris Park. Insects also provide vital ecosystem services such as pollination provided by bees, pest regulation by wasps and nutrient cycling aided by dung beetles, which are indispensable to the ecological balance of our forests such as those in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve. In this lecture, moderated by Laura Miotto (Associate Professor, School of Art, Design and Media, Nanyang Technological University), ecologist Eleanor Slade (Associate Professor, Forest Invertebrate Ecology, Asian School of Environment, Nanyang Technological University and Principal Investigator, Tropical Ecology & Entomology Lab) and artist Wendy Zhang (artist and insect conservation educator) will highlight the critical role insects play in the ecosystems that support our natural spaces in Singapore. Drawing on their expertise in ecology, entomology, insect conservation and art, they will discuss current strategies for biodiversity conservation and the actions needed to protect insect populations in the future.

Tuesday, 11 March 2025
6:30pm – 8:30pm
The Hall, NTU CCA Singapore

Climate Transformation: Sustainable Societies Lecture Series Cycle 1 (Nov 2024 - May 2025)

About the Climate Transformation: Sustainable Societies Lecture Series

This series brings together artists and academics from the Climate Transformations Programme to discuss various climatic themes such as biodiversity heritage, addressing sea level rise and preparing for a climate-changed future. Through these science-arts pairings, we hope to foster dialogue that deepens our understanding of climate challenges and engages a multi-faceted lens to inspire meaningful action.

About the team

The Climate Transformation: Sustainable Societies Series is organised by members of the Climate Transformation Programme (CTP) Cross-Cutting Theme 1: Sustainable Societies research team, Principal Investigator Professor Ute Meta Bauer, research associate Ng Mei Jia and research assistant Angela Ricasio Hoten.

This Lecture Series is supported by the Singapore Ministry of Education Academic Research Fund Tier 3 grant [MOE-MOET32022-0006] for the Climate Transformation Programme. 

]]> Laura Miotto ]]> Eleanor Slade]]> Wendy Zhang]]> Southeast Asia]]> Biodiversity]]> Technology]]> Experiential]]> Hari Vishnu]]> Southeast Asia]]> Antarctica]]> Arctic]]> Artistic Research]]> Biodiversity]]> Ecology]]> Ecosystems]]> Environmental Crisis]]> Nature]]> Mythology]]> Oceans & Seas]]> The Anthropocene]]> Ways of Seeing]]>
From volcanic terrains and seismic signals to marine ecologies, these artists have spent the past year pondering over planetary processes, the scientific knowledge of Earth, and ancestral wisdom. Watch this short video to get a glimpse of the research and thought processes that unfolded during this journey.

STAR Residencies Cycle 1 was developed in collaboration with NTU Earth Observatory of Singapore. STAR Residencies (Science, Technology, Art and Research) is a pioneering initiative by NTU CCA, designed to foster cross-pollination between artistic and academic research by embedding artists within world-class research institutes at Nanyang Technological University.]]> Ng Hui Hsien]]> The Observatory]]> Zarina Muhammad]]> Earth Observatory of Singapore]]> Video]]> Southeast Asia]]> Artistic Research]]> Biodiversity]]> Climate Crisis]]> Ecology]]> Ecosystems]]> Environmental Crisis]]> Experiential]]> Mythology]]> Oceans & Seas]]> Nature]]> Performance]]> The Anthropocene]]> Ways of Seeing]]> Ng Hui Hsien]]> The Observatory]]> Zarina Muhammad]]> Earth Observatory of Singapore]]> Video]]> Southeast Asia]]> Artistic Research]]> Biodiversity]]> Climate Crisis]]> Ecology]]> Ecosystems]]> Mythology]]> Nature]]> Oceans & Seas]]> Performance]]> The Anthropocene]]> Ways of Seeing]]> NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore presents Propositions for Planetary Attunement, a live event featuring Artists-in-Residence Ng Hui Hsien, The Observatory, and Zarina Muhammad. Spanning polyphonic storytelling, moving image, live music, and performance, it marks the culmination of the inaugural STAR Residencies (Science, Technology, Art & Research), a pioneering collaboration with the NTU Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS). A research institute of Nanyang Technological University, the Earth Observatory of Singapore conducts fundamental research on earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, and climate change to better understand the dynamic forces shaping Southeast Asia and the world.

What happens when artists and scientists find common ground in shared concerns and collective care for ecological complexities? What can they reveal about planetary matters that often exceed us—from the unfathomable scales of geological time and elusive frequencies to the molecular texture of rocks and age-old modes of coexisting with non-human formations? Emerging from a year-long exchange between the artists and EOS researchers, Propositions for Planetary Attunement explores the generative potential of interdisciplinary encounters, experimenting with the composition of scientific data into artistic gestures of ecological witnessing, listening, and becoming. These explorations manifest in three acts that metabolise scientific evidence, ancestral knowledge, and other-than-human perspectives. Drifting between geosciences and creative inquiry, each artist offers a unique proposition that merges measurements and musings, interlacing the empirical with the embodied, science with speculation, facts with signals.

Complementing the artistic propositions is a selection of research materials from the NTU Earth Observatory of Singapore created for this event. This display foregrounds the core scientific work explored by the artists during the residency, offering a glimpse into the data and phenomena that informed their inquiry. Together, these acts chart a non-linear journey to the threshold of our profound unknowing of the invisible forces that shape the planet, inviting us to cultivate deeper forms of attention and attunement to the Earth.

STAR Residencies is conceived and curated by Dr Anna Lovecchio, Curator, NTU CCA Singapore.

Please note this is a ticketed event with limited capacity.

This event is suitable for ages 16 and above. NTU CCA Singapore reserves the right to refuse admission if patrons are found to be below the requisite age. There will be no refunds or compensation for non-admission.

ABOUT STAR Residencies

STAR Residencies (Science, Technology, Art & Research) is a pioneering initiative by the NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore, designed to foster meaningful cross-pollination between artistic and academic research. By embedding artists within world-class research institutes at Nanyang Technological University, the programme creates a unique site for exchange between creative practitioners and academic researchers.

For more information about STAR Residencies, please visit LAUNCH OF STAR RESIDENCIES (2025-2026).

PROGRAMME

7.00pm | Welcome
Ute Meta Bauer, Acting Director, NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore

7.10pm | Overture
Anna Lovecchio, Curator, NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore

7.20pm | Performance Lecture
The Observatory | Resonance
Ft. Benoit Taisne
Concept and Music: The Observatory; Producer: Deanna Dzulkifli; Dramaturg: Tang Fu Kuen; Editor: Daniel Hui; Video Operator: Lynette Quek.

The planet moves and vibrates in rhythms often too deep, too slow, or too vast to be captured by the human ear. If Earth is a sonorous yet silent being, what wavelengths thread its silence? In Resonance, The Observatory studies geological forces and the ways that Earth signals before change takes form. In a sonic excavation of the hidden registers of the planet, they follow frequencies that exist beyond our perception across deep time and the sonic sensing of animals and machines. Drawing on scientific knowledge of seismic events, sonic archeology, anecdotes and lived experience, Resonance lingers at the threshold where vibration becomes event and event becomes narrative. Through storytelling, sound, image, archival records, and speculation, it bears witness the hidden pulse of the world as it resonates from the cavity of time into the substance of our bodies.

8.00pm | Screening
Ng Hui Hsien | Ways of a Mountain
Video Written, Directed, and Filmed by: Ng Hui Hsien; Second camera: Noah Lee; Editing: Nicole Chai and Gladys Ng; Sound: Yuen Chee Wai.

Ways of a Mountain contemplates an active volcanic terrain as a living presence—an entity shaped by forces both geological and spiritual. Oriented by a score of meditative reflections, the camera explores the transience of water flows, light shifts, minerals, and human life, to tell a story of a land in constant formation. Through a poetic synthesis of empirical observation, scientific knowledge, and ancestral cosmologies, the volcanic mountain emerges not as a static object, but as a dynamic participant in the planetary becoming. Expanding our perception of time and human agency, the film invites viewers to sense forces larger than ourselves and consider the animacy of the Earth in an era of environmental strain.

8.30pm | Intermission
Planetary Archives
Display of Research Materials from the NTU Earth Observatory of Singapore

Over the course of STAR Residencies, scientists from the NTU Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS) have engaged in an extended dialogue with the artists, introducing them to the fundamental data, processes, and methodologies of the geosciences. Curated by EOS, Planetary Archives presents a selection of research materials representing the three primary areas of study the artists have delved into throughout their year-long residency. Through this display, EOS provides the scientific context for the complex planetary phenomena that informed the artists’ inquiries during the residency.

9.00pm | Overture
Lauriane Chardot, Assistant Director, Community Engagement, NTU Earth Observatory of Singapore

9.10pm | Performance
Zarina Muhammad | Observing Omens Drawn by Lightning
A Ritual and Performance Constellation Drifting Across Southeast Asian Waters and the Indian Ocean (Singapore iteration).
Performers: Prashant Somosundram, Hafiz Rashid, Ruby Jayaseelan, Firdaus Sani, Zarina Muhammad; Live Music: Asnida Daud, Eswandy Sarip; Masks: co-created with Per Brahe, I Wayan Erik Wahyudi, L.A.R. Nandana.
Moving Image and Field Documentation: Zarina Muhammad, Diana Tay; Editor: JunYears; Soundscape: Aqilah, Eswandy Sarip, Diana Tay, Hafiz Rashid, Izharul, Linus, Matiin.

Arising from the entanglement between artistic practice, earth-marine sciences, and traditional knowledge, Observing Omens Drawn by Lightning merges ecological fieldwork across intertidal zones and the fluid thresholds of port cities in the Indian Ocean with multi-sensory inquiries into microatolls, storms, shipwrecks, and submerged coastlines. The work unfolds in two movements. A quiet flow of voices, stories, and bodies around the space turns mythic narratives and scientific data into ritual and movement. This polyphonic opening yields poetic insights into the histories and ecologies of Tanjong Rimau and Cyrene Reef, situating local shores within vast transoceanic networks. As these currents converge, handcrafted masks—co-created with master carvers in Bali—emerge and bring to life marine entities. In the second part, the performance is anchored by a moving image essay, live-scored by musicians and witnessed in stillness by the performers. In this manifestation of a multi-year project, Zarina Muhammad’s ongoing research on practices of ecological witnessing is enacted as a performative drift towards the invisible ecologies, submerged histories, and ancestral currents in the waters around us.

Credits

Propositions for Planetary Attunement is the culmination of STAR Residencies – Cycle 1, a programme developed by NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore in collaboration with NTU Earth Observatory of Singapore.

Lead Scientists
Assoc Prof Benoit Taisne
Asst Prof Euan J. F. Mutch
Asst Prof Aron Meltzner

Other Researchers
Dr Yoonhee Jung (InVEST)
Dr Andrea Verolino
Dr Yizhou Luo
Wan Ling
Jing Ying Yeo

]]> Ng Hui Hsien]]> The Observatory ]]> Zarina Muhammad]]> Earth Observatory of Singapore]]> Anna Lovecchio]]> Southeast Asia]]> Artistic Research]]> Biodiversity]]> Climate Crisis]]> Environmental Crisis]]> Ecology]]> Ecosystems]]> Indigenous Knowledge]]> Knowledge Production]]> History]]> Mythology]]> The Anthropocene]]> Nature]]> Ways of Seeing]]> Venture into the research-in-progress conducted by our current Artists-in-Residence Ng Hui Hsien, The Observatory, and Zarina Muhammad within the inaugural cycle of STAR RESIDENCIES (Science, Technology, Art & Research)—a programme that positions scientific research at the core of artistic inspiration.

These open studio sessions present the ongoing research developed through the artists’ engagement and dialogue with earth scientists from the NTU Earth Observatory of Singapore. By foregrounding experimental research methodologies and the creative interpretation of scientific knowledge, the programme highlights the critical role of interdisciplinary exchange in addressing complex planetary phenomena.

Working across a range of ecological terrains and methodologies, the residents engage with the Earth’s shifting matters through diverse polysensory and multi-disciplinary approaches. Ng Hui Hsien traverses volcanic terrains to contemplate human-environment relations through the dual lenses of scientific evidence and lived experience, while The Observatory explores subterranean pulses through sound-based inquiry and interspecies frameworks, seeking to expand our comprehension of tectonic forces through sonic engagement. In parallel, Zarina Muhammad treads through intertidal zones and coastal sites as living archives of sea-level change, ecological memory, and the deep-time relations between land, sea, and climate.

STAR RESIDENCIES OPEN provides a unique entry point into the artists’ studios to observe the non-linear trajectory of creative research; here, visitors can encounter the evolving processes and interdisciplinary materials central to this residency.

]]> 31 January 2026]]> Ng Hui Hsien]]> The Observatory]]> Zarina Muhammad]]> Earth Observatory of Singapore]]> Southeast Asia]]> Botany]]> Biodiversity]]> Isabelle Desjeux]]> Southeast Asia]]> Europe]]>