Curating the Brent Biennial 2025: Site, Community and Alternative Knowledge

The Southampton Institute for Arts and Humanities, together with Winchester School of Art’s PhD Programmes, is excited to present ‘Curating the Brent Biennial 2025: Site, Community and Alternative Knowledge’, a talk with independent curator and visiting PhD researcher Annie Jael Kwan.

This talk will take place on Friday, 17th July from 10:00-12:00 in the WSA PGR Room (East 3024) and on MS Teams, in hybrid format. All welcome.

This lecture offers an in-depth account of the curatorial methodology underpinning the Brent Biennial 2025, examining how a commitment to place, process and collective imagination can shape an alternative model of biennial-making. Responding to specific sites across the London Borough of Brent, the curatorial framework draws on the four classical elements — earth, water, fire and air — as generative lenses for exploring material, metaphor and methodology, and for centring plural and non-Western knowledge systems.

Central to this approach is a two-stage structure: Divinations, a relational pre-programme phase that develops trust and shared vision with local organisations and communities, and Rituals, a public-facing series of live events, assemblies and collaborative encounters. The lecture critically reflects on how this model resists the logic of spectacle in favour of gathering and exchange, and considers the practical and ethical dimensions of fundraising across local and international contexts.

Annie Jael Kwan is an independent curator, researcher and educator whose exhibition-making, programming, publication and teaching practice is located at the intersection of contemporary art, art history and cultural activism, with interest in archives, feminist, queer and alternative knowledges, collective practices, solidarity, sisterhood and spirituality. She is currently undertaking PhD research in Liverpool.

Creating and narrating impact for doctoral researcher professional development (with Professor Dan Ashton) on 17th June 2026

 

Building from the May 2025 doctoral researcher workshop on impact and engagement, this workshop will focus on understanding and positioning your research impact as part of your professional development. As the ‘engagement, influence and impact’ section of PGR Development says:

Understanding how to communicate your research clearly, collaborate with wider communities, and generate meaningful impact is an essential part of doctoral‑level development.

We will explore how to understand, identify, and narrate the impact your research might generate, and how this connects with professional development goals and frameworks (including the Vitae Researcher Development Framework). The workshop will be structured around activities enabling you to understand contemporary research contexts and environments, reflect on your research and advance your professional development goals.

For those who did not participate in the May 2025 or would benefit from a reminder, the slides are available on the WSA Impact and Engagement site.

Professor Daniel Ashton

Prof Daniel Ashton is the Professor of Cultural and Creative Industries in the Department of Art and Media Technology at Winchester School of Art at the University of Southampton. His teaching and research focus on cultural and creative industries organisations, work and policy, and digital media technologies. Research in these areas has been presented internationally, published in academic journals, and shared in online videos and articles. He is a PhD supervisor and support postgraduate researchers with their teaching professional development. He has worked in partnership with a range of organisations on public exhibitions, teaching initiatives, and research projects.

PGRs’ VR Project Presented at Beijing International Film Festival’s Boundless Immersive Unit

A virtual reality (VR) project developed by WSA postgraduate researchers (PGRs) has been shortlisted at the Beijing International Film Festival, one of Asia’s leading platforms for immersive media.

 

“Echoes After the Last Breath: A Gamified Gaze-Driven VR Near-Death Experience” by Yimeng Li, Weigan Zhang, and Xinyu Zhang was selected for exhibition at the 16th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) “Boundless ∞ Immersive Unit.” In April 2026, Weigan and Yimeng attended the festival in Beijing, where the project was exhibited and presented to audiences alongside a wide range of international immersive works.
Yimeng Li and Weigan Zhang attending the 16th Beijing International Film Festival in Beijing.

“Echoes After the Last Breath: A Gamified Gaze-Driven VR Near-Death Experience” is an immersive interactive experience that explores memory and emotional resonance through spatial storytelling and sensory interaction. Presented within the context of emerging immersive cinema and interactive media, the work invited audiences to engage with the experience in a personal and reflective way.

 

The “Boundless ∞ Immersive Unit” is one of BJIFF’s major immersive sections, focusing on VR, AR, MR, installation art, and spatial media experiences from around the world. Under this year’s curatorial theme, “Entering Cinema Through Play”, the exhibition explored how audiences can experience storytelling beyond the traditional screen through interaction, embodiment, and participation.

Exhibition views from the BJIFF Boundless ∞ Immersive Unit

Weigan and Yimeng said: ‘During the exhibition, we had the opportunity to connect with many other immersive media creators and projects, exchanging ideas about storytelling, technology, and audience experience. We were also very happy to see so many visitors engage with our project. The audience shared a great deal of thoughtful feedback, encouraging responses, and useful suggestions for future improvements, which were incredibly valuable for us as creators and researchers. This experience was a wonderful opportunity for our team, and we are especially proud that the work of PhD students from the University of Southampton could be presented to a wider international audience through the Beijing International Film Festival.’

PhD Activities Spring 2026

Below you will find our schedule for the Winchester School of Art PhD weekly meetings, which will generally run from 2-4pm on Wednesdays, in person (PGR Rooms at WSA) and on MS Teams. The series consists of (guest) speakers, workshops, trainings, and other research- and practice-led events.

The working schedule will be updated here regularly.

For other Faculty and University wide events please see the central University events calendar: https://events.soton.ac.uk/ 

TUE WED THU
January 28 January 12:00-14:00 New PhDs Induction and campus tour, followed by PhD/ECC Start of Term Social @ 14:00-16:00 [in person], PGR Meeting Room (East 3024)
February 4 February 14:00-16:00 PhD Town Hall – discussing important business for the coming year[hybrid], PGR Meeting Room (East 3024) and online
11 February 11:00-13:00 PhD Crits Rezia Wahid and Qixuan (Fay) Wu [in person], Sculpture Studio

AND

14:00-16:00 Practice-based research skills session with Prof Teresa Dillon [hybrid], PGR Meeting Room (East 3024) and online. Teresa Dillon is a self-taught artist and curator who draws on methodologies from psychology, social science and the performing arts.
 18 February 14:00-16:00, PhD WriteLab [hybrid], PGR Meeting Room (East 3024) and online
 25 February 14:00-16:00 Letterpress workshop with Andy Reaney in preparation for Into the Fold, WSA’s artists book and zine festival (6-7 March)  [in person only, max 6 participants], Printmaking Workshop (1023 East, WSA)
March  4 March 14:00-16:00 Zine and book-making workshop with Dr Megen de Bruin-MolĂ© in preparation for Into the Fold, WSA’s artists book and zine festival (6-7 March) [hybrid], PGR Meeting Room (East 3024) and online
17 March 14:00-16:00 PhD Crits [in person], Sculpture Studio 18 March 14:00-16:00, PhD WriteLab [hybrid], physical location TBC
25 March 14:00-16:00, Design Research Methods with Dr Daniel Cid (Head of Research Design Department) [hybrid], PGR Meeting Room (East 3024) and online. A session focused on the idea that, in a way, we all design, and this potential can be transformed as an ongoing rehearsal for what more sustainable ways of living could be.

EASTER BREAK 30 MARCH – 24 APRIL

(teaching and some university services will be suspended)

TUE WED THU
April 14 April 14:00-16:00 PGR Student Crit Workshop with Elissa Wang and Rui Cai [in person], Sculpture Studio (East Side). The work will remain up through Weds 15th and Thursday 16th April.
29 April 14:00-16:00, PhD WriteLab [hybrid], physical location TBC and online
May 6 May 14:00-16:00 Learning to Teach: Reports and Reflections from SoTeach3 with PhD teachers and Megen de Bruin-Molé [hybrid], PGR Meeting Room (East 3024) and online
13 May 14:00-16:00 PURE online profiles workshop with Megen de Bruin-Molé [hybrid], PGR Meeting Room (East 3024) and online.
20 May 14:00-16:00, Progression review preparation session (leader TBC) [hybrid], PGR Meeting Room (East 3024) and online
26 May 14:00-16:00 PGR Student Crit Workshop with Susan Francis and Jingnan Bian (Bianca) PGR Meeting Room (East 3024) and online 27 May 14:00-16:00, PhD WriteLab [hybrid], physical location TBC and online
June  10 June 14:00-16:00,PhD WriteLab [hybrid], physical location TBC and online
23 June 14:00-16:00 PGR Student Crit Workshop with Zhiyu Guo (Zoe) and Glauco Adorno, location at WSA TBC (please contact David Birks) 17 June 14:00-16:00, ‘Creating and narrating impact’ workshop with Dan Ashton, focus on developing PURE profiles [hybrid], PGR Meeting Room (East 3024) and online

WSA Summer Graduation will take place at 10am on Monday, 20 July 2026 in Winchester Cathedral. Following this, at around 12pm there will be a formal reception on the Cathedral grounds for staff and PGRs. There will then be a PhD celebration, lunch, and social at The Willow Tree from around 1pm. Please RSVP here.

Second wave practice research: managing the institutionalisations of tacit knowledge (12 November 2025)

On 12 November, the WSA PhD Seminar is excited to welcome Dr Rachel Hann (Northumbria University, Newcastle), who has extensive experience with practice-based research across Fine Art, Design, and Fashion/Textiles.

Dr Hann’s talk will be on ‘Second wave practice research: managing the institutionalisations of tacit knowledge’ The main concern of what Dr Hann proposes as the ‘first wave’ of Practice Research was to win the right to conduct research through practice from the administrators (university management, HEFCE). The end game of this perspective was, she argues, that it sustains a culture where Practice Research is conducted for the purpose of administration: for evidencing an individual’s research profile to be assessed holistically, by exercises such as the REF. We now need to move beyond the administrative focus of Practice Research, however. Dr Hann is part of a movement suggesting a ‘second wave’ of arts research practice. This talk and subsequent discussion will lay out some strategies and examples for managing the institutionalisations of tacit knowledge, and skills for navigating a practice-based PhD within these institutions.

Dr. Rachel Hann is Associate Professor in Performance and Design at Northumbria University, Newcastle (UK). She researches material cultures of scenography, transness, and climate crisis. Rachel is the author of Beyond Scenography (Routledge 2019) and co-founder of the research network Critical Costume. From 2024-2025, she was PI for an AHRC Fellowship entitled Trans Performance Now. Rachel is also a former Chair of the Theatre and Performance Research Association, a member of the AHRC Peer Review College, and a curator for the Prague Quadrennial 2027. Rachel has examined 11 PhDs as external and supervised 11 to completion.

This session will take place in person in the PhD Common Room (WSA East Side 3024) and online. 

PhD Crits Resume

It has been so wonderful to see PGRs taking the initiative to develop a more collaborative research culture at our beloved WSA. Having a safe space and the opportunity to learn from each other and explore and challenge our ideas are very valuable for developing our competencies as researchers as well as for our own research.

This time, we would like to acknowledge David Birks, who has been working very passionately to present us with PhD crits. PhD Crits is a regular (biweekly) 2-hour workshop where a practice-led and a theory-based PGR from different stages of the research process (early, mid, and final) present their art/design research process and findings to gain action-orientated feedback from fellow PGRs and experts, such as Stephen Cornford and Megen de Bruin-Molé.

The structure of the workshop is specifically designed to facilitate a positive and critical peer learning environment to help both the presenters and participants be more aware and appreciative of each other’s research, to be comfortable in raising questions and answering them, and to learn more about various research philosophies/methodologies, approaches/methods, analyses, and effective ways to present our research. To facilitate effective engagement, this workshop will be an on-site and PGR-only event.

Therefore, we would like to encourage all WSA PGRs who live in and outside of Winchester to come and attend these events in person. Furthermore, we would love to have fellow PGRs that share similar research topics or approaches with the speakers to come and actively engage in the open dialogue sessions to co-create a productive workshop.

 

The PhD Crits will be a valuable complement to our regular Wednesday PhD Sessions, WriteLab, Design Research Methodologies and Methods, and Interdisciplinary Collaboration Working Group.

 

It is with great pleasure that we invite you to attend the launch of the 1st WSA PhD Crits that will be held on:

Date    : 28th October 2025

Time    : 1 to 3 PM

Venue    : Right-hand Installation Space (back end of the Sculpture Studio)

Introducing our speakers:

  1. Weigan Zhang [Practice-based research]

PhD research title: “An Artistic, Practice-Based Inquiry into Digital Memorialisation:Visual Reality as an Empty Machine for Reshaping Memory and Mourning”

Supervisors: Dr Alexandra Anikina, Dr Emma Reay and Prof Seth Giddings and Dr Ruohan Tang.

Abstract:

This study explores how VR can function as an ethical and reflective medium for digital memorialisation. In response to the rise of the “digital afterlife” industry, the project proposes the concept of the Empty Machine—treating VR as an open, participatory field for co-creating meaning around loss and memory. Through research-creation and participatory co-design, I’m developing a speculative VR prototype that invites users to navigate fragmented, polyphonic memories, fostering reflection and dialogue rather than simulation.

  1. Li Xu (Visiting Postgraduate Research Student from China) [Theory-based research]

PhD research title: “The Afterlife of Nucleic Acid Testing Booths: Assembling Post-Pandemic Urban Infrastructure”

Supervisors: Jussi Parikka and Ryan Bishop

Abstract:

This article examines the lifecycle of nucleic acid testing booths in China, a form of data infrastructure that became ubiquitous during the COVID-19 pandemic. While scholarship has addressed datafication and the politics of pandemic control, the material afterlife of such infrastructures — particularly their abandonment and reuse — remains underexplored. Drawing on fieldwork in Wuhan between December 2023 and September 2025, this study traces how these booths underwent territorialization, deterritorialization, and reterritorialization as public health policies shifted. Using assemblage theory and infrastructure studies, it conceptualizes the booths as a case of post-pandemic infrastructural adaptation that reveals the volatility and plasticity of short-cycle urban systems. Once integral to data collection and pandemic governance, the booths were rapidly decommissioned, generating both spatial friction and infrastructural waste. Yet many were reassembled into community kiosks and other shared facilities through grassroots initiatives. This reterritorialization highlights the agency of local actors who reconfigured abandoned digital infrastructures to meet evolving socio-spatial needs. The study advances urban theory by foregrounding the afterlife of temporary infrastructures, contributing to debates on urban resilience, waste politics, and community governance in post-pandemic cities.

PhD Activities Autumn 2025

We’ll be continuing our regular Winchester School of Art PhD Seminar Series, which will generally run from 2-4pm on Wednesdays, in person (PGR Rooms at WSA) and on MS Teams. The series consists of (guest) speakers, workshops, trainings, and other research- and practice-led events.

In conversation with PhD Representatives, however, the nature of these sessions will be slightly different this term. Namely, we are trying to do fewer ‘big’ events and guest lectures (1 a month), and other events will be tailored to different subsets of our PhD community here at WSA (for instance practice-based PhDs and PhDs at specific stages of their projects).

The working schedule for the Spring 2025 term is available below (also HERE as an Excel sheet), and will be updated here with any schedule changes. Details and bios for individual sessions will be linked as they become available.

For other Faculty and University wide events please see the central University events calendar: https://events.soton.ac.uk/ 

click the image below to enlarge

WSA PhD Researcher Rui Cai Wins Doctoral College Research Award 2025

WSA PhD researcher Rui Cai has been awarded the School Winner of the Doctoral College Research Award 2025, receiving a £200 prize in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the research environment. He was nominated for his active engagement in managing the shared studio space used by practice-based PhD researchers and for fostering a strong sense of community solidarity among all WSA PGR researchers. This award celebrates the exceptional impact of doctoral researchers on their research group, school, faculty, or the wider University research strategy. 

 

The Research Awards recognise a PGR’s excellent contribution to the research environment through a variety of research activities and outputs, as appropriate to their discipline, has been formally recognised at the PGR Showcase 2025: 3MT¼ Final & Awards Ceremony, which has been held on 17 June 2025 at Highfield Campus.

Rui Cai’s statement on the awards:

 I’m honoured to have been nominated for my contributions to the research environment. This recognition is particularly meaningful as my interdisciplinary work, primarily in the bio-art field, presents unique challenges. Combining biology and art requires significant effort, including mastering complex biological knowledge and troubleshooting practical issues like persistent contamination. However, the fascinating process and consistently surprising artistic outcomes motivate my continued dedication. I’m grateful for this acknowledgement from the university, which will undoubtedly support the progression of my research.

Many congratulations to Rui on this well-deserved recognition!

 

Threads of Thought: WSA PhD Exhibition 2025

Join us this month for a new exhibition of PhD work! The Winchester School of Art PhD research group are very pleased to present ‘Threads of Thought’. These works use practice or creative methods as a model of exploration, whether in fine art, design, or related fields. The selected works highlight the production process as a form of thinking, questioning, and unfolding.

Private View:

6 June (Friday 16:30 – 18:00)

Public Opening:

6 – 26 June
Mon-Sat 10am – 5:30pm
Sun – Closed

Location:  

Gallery 37 / Community Hub | Unit 37 The Brooks, Winchester, SO23 8QY

Thought is not a fixed point but a thread—unfolding, tangling, looping through forms, materials, and methods. When research takes shape through practice, knowledge is not simply demonstrated but made, tested, and reconfigured.

‘Threads of Thought’ invites a critical engagement with how knowledge is produced, questioned, and transformed through creative practice. Through iterative methodologies, material enquiry, and interdisciplinary engagement, the exhibition explores the embodied thinking and experimental processes that shape doctoral research beyond traditional academic forms.

Through language, visual impact, spatial extension, and human interaction, the works presented here demonstrate how practice emerges as a mode of enquiry—threading together ideas, materials, and methods across disciplines.

Curators:

Yimeng Li
Elissa Wang
Jingnan Bian

Medical Technology UK 2025: A Report by Hongrui Zhang, Post-graduate Researcher in E-Textile Innovation


We are pleased to share an exciting update from Hongrui Zhang, a first-year Ph.D. researcher at Winchester School of Art. Hongrui attended the prestigious Medical Technology UK 2025 exhibition in Coventry, where Hongrui explored cutting-edge developments in medical device innovation and sustainability. 

Hi, this is Hongrui Zhang, a first-year Ph.D. student in Design (E-textile Innovation Lab). With the support of the Winchester School of Art and my supervisor Professor Kai Yang. I had the opportunity to attend the Medical Technology UK 2025 exhibition, held on March 12-13 at the Coventry Building Society Arena, Coventry, England. This premier event presented the latest advancements in medical device design, development, and manufacturing. The event featured over 130 specialist suppliers, and a series of comprehensive learning programs such as the Women in MedTech Forum and Plastics & Sustainability in Healthcare, providing valuable insights into emerging trends in healthcare technology. During the exhibition, I actively engaged in learning about the latest industry developments and establishing connections with potential collaborators in both academia and industry. The networking opportunities provided interactions with key specialists in medical technology, fostering potential collaborations and knowledge exchange to enhance the development of sustainable e-textile electrodes as my project focuses on.

One of the key highlights of this event was the advancement in materials for medical applications, particularly in the realm of wearable technology and e-textiles. As my project, “Development of Sustainable and Wearable E-Textiles for Electrotherapy,” focuses on fabricating skin-friendly, sustainable, and high-performance electrodes, the exhibition provided a unique opportunity to explore relevant innovations in material science, electrode design, and manufacturing techniques. During the event, I had engaging discussions with multiple medical representatives such as Polymer Systems Technology UK Ltd, where they showed me their latest products for developing advanced medical silicone materials. This interaction inspired my research, particularly in enhancing the design and fabrication of silicone-based electrodes.

The exhibition also showcased cutting-edge solutions for medical device sustainability, a critical aspect of my research. With a focus on recyclable materials, eco-friendly fabrication processes, and long-term usability, discussions with industry experts provided insights into reducing environmental impact in healthcare applications. A particularly insightful part of the learning program, Plastics & Sustainability in Healthcare: Focus on Design & Development Options, discussed the adoption of biodegradable materials, energy-efficient manufacturing processes, and circular economy approaches in medical device production. However, I also realized that sustainability in healthcare still has a long way to go, as medical materials account for only a small fraction of overall material usage, and much of the effort has yet to become a reality. This awareness reinforced the significance of my research, giving me greater motivation to contribute to this field.

From left to right are: Customized pot for silicone rubber inks, Speed mixer for ink preparation, and Extruder for 3D-printable inks
Slides from the learning program Plastics & Sustainability in Healthcare: Focus on Design & Development Options

Overall, Medical Technology UK 2025 was highly beneficial to my research, offering exposure to state-of-the-art advancements and reinforcing the importance of sustainable and innovative solutions in healthcare applications. The event not only broadened my knowledge of material innovations and industry trends but also provided an excellent platform to reflect on the broader implications of my work in the real-world healthcare landscape.