Trained as an architect, Ling Tan is an award-winning designer and artist working within the field of social engagement, technology, citizen participation and politics. She is co-founder of HAQUE TAN, a 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.
Her work explores citizens’ interaction with the built environment through technology, and our collective agency and responsibility in tackling complex issues surrounding our cities. She works with diverse communities across the UK and internationally to develop participatory projects of different scales, ranging from interactive installations, performances to pop-up architecture that help them make sense of their environments, express opinions in a playful and performative way, and collectively address issues including public safety, air quality, climate change and gender safety. She designs interfaces, fabricates hardware and develops software for her work, ranging from wearable technology, interactive installations and performances to web platforms, mobile phone apps and Internet of Things (IoT) tools.
Ling’s expertise spans multiple disciplines, from architecture and design to data science and social policy. She is currently designing a new AI-driven system for sustainable food consumption and cultural authenticity. She has received the STRP Act Award 2024 , Seoul Design Finalist Award 2023, Asia Digital Art Finalist Award Fukuoka and commendations from S+T+ARTS Prize. Her work is exhibited internationally in places such as Centre Pompidou (France), Victoria and Albert Museum (UK), Barbican (UK), Somerset House (UK), Manchester Museum (UK), HeK (Switzerland), Liljevalchs (Sweden), Zebrastraat (Belgium), Zollverein(Germany), Fukuoka City Science Museum (Japan), Wits Art Museum (South Africa), and featured in magazines and websites across the globe such as Dezeen, Wired and Fast Company.
She was previously Associate Artistic Director at Kakilang, where she curated the critically acclaimed State-less, and is a frequent public speaker, helping shape discourse on diversity, participation, urban technology and citizen empowerment.
