Ling Tan is an award-winning artist, designer and creative technologist whose work explores how people can collectively reshape the urban systems and structures they inhabit, using culture, participation and technology as catalysts for dialogue and action. Trained as an architect, her practice spans permanent public art, large-scale participatory projects, interactive installations and events, with a focus on citizen participation and collective agency. She has worked with diverse communities worldwide on a range of participatory and technological initiatives addressing pressing urban issues including climate change, public safety, air quality, and gender and racial equity.
Her recent projects include Harvesting Climate Action, which was nominated for the S+T+ARTS Prize 2026 and received an Honorary Mention at the Prix Ars Electronica 2026. Developed in collaboration with climate scientists, local authorities, designers, communities, and urban farmers as part of Low Carbon Chinatown, the installation comprises 100 data-embedded recyclable stools that deconstruct into a live Low Carbon Banquet, where 100 participants each harvest a stool before gathering to share a low carbon Chinese feast, debate, and collectively map pathways for climate action. Playing Democracy 2.0, originally commissioned by the Barbican and Lumen Art Projects, is a giant multiplayer game of Pong in which players rewrite the rules of democracy in real time; it won the STRP ACT Award 2024 and has been exhibited at Ars Electronica Festival, STRP Festival and Cinekid.
Ling’s expertise spans multiple disciplines, from architecture to social engagement and environmental policy. She co-founded HAQUE TAN, an art and design studio combining the scale of architecture with the ingenuity of art and the eccentricities of technology, to make spaces more democratic, inclusive and culturally-driven. She is also a UK Design Council Expert and a frequent public speaker helping shape discourse on diversity, participation, urban technology and citizen empowerment. She is also Creative Director at urban technology studio Umbrellium, and was previously Associate Artistic Director at Kakilang, where she produced work and curated the critically acclaimed exhibition State-less.
Her work has been recognised internationally, earning awards, nominations and honorary mentions including the Prix Ars Electronica, S+T+ARTS Prize, STRP Festival ACT Award, Asia Digital Art Award Fukuoka, Seoul Design Awards, and CultTech x Ars Electronica Award. Her work has been exhibited internationally at Centre Pompidou (FR), the V&A, Barbican, Science Gallery, Somerset House and Manchester Museum (UK), STRP Festival (NL), Ars Electronica (AT), HeK (CH), Liljevalchs (SE), Zebrastraat (BE), Zollverein (DE), Fukuoka City Science Museum (JP), Art Center Nabi (KR), Wits Art Museum (ZA), and featured in Dezeen, Wired and Fast Company.
