Prof Neal White
I am an artist with a strong interest in the complex threads that link social, political and ecological futures to visual and interdisciplinary contemporary art. My background in art & technology developed into critical investigations of science (STS) and has evolved alongside processes that draw on legacies of post/conceptual art, as well as an interest in social practice and collaborations with other artists, academics, scientists, curators, architects and activists.
I co-Direct CREAM, with Professor May Adadol Ingawanij (Cinematic Arts) from where we coordinate research strategy in Westminster School of Arts, in conjunction with leading artists, filmmakers, photographers, curators, musicians and fashion scholars. Together with Prof Ingawanij, I led the REF2021, that saw CREAM being recognised as the UK leader (1st) in research Impact in Art & Design.
In the public sphere, I am a Trustee of SPACE studios, London and have worked as a reviewer for APEX Awards (Royal Institution) and Astronomy Photographer of the Year (Royal Greenwich Museums). In the academic sphere I am an active member of the AHRC Peer Review College.
For over two decades my art practice has been research-led. I traverse interdisciplinary areas, and develop new methods that address undisicplined approaches. Investigations are often undertaken collaboratively with a wide variety of co-researchers, in the UK and Internationally, leading to collective and individual outputs being developed around issues, environments and challenges of shared concern.
I am part of the collective of curators and artists based in Srishti / Bangalore, who coordinated Soil Assembly at the Kochi Biennale in 2023. I also work closely with colleagues who convene the collective Ecological Futurisms in CREAM that advocates artists and groups interrogating critical technologies and innovating arts ecosystems across Europe, the Caribbean, South and South East Asia.
My practice has engaged projects in a wide range of contexts with support from; Arts Catalyst (London UK, 2001-19), Portikus, Frankfurt (2013-14), Center for Land Use Interpretation (USA, 2007-9), Henry Moore Institute (UK 2004-12), Flat Time House (John Latham), John Hansard Gallery (2007-9) and O+I (Formerly APG, UK, 2004-).
Selected exhibitions include; Glazen Huis, Amstelpark (2022), Venice Biennale of Architecture (2021), Kunsthalle Trondheim (2020), Royal College of Art (2016), Portikus (2014), Whitechapel Gallery (2014), John Hansard Gallery (2009), Natural History Museum (2003) amongst many others.
As a contributor to the broader UK University research environment, I was a recent recipient as Co-I of AHRC funding exploring a UK based Practice Research Repository with Library and Information Services. This was based on work CREAM have undertaken supporting the REF over many years using an advanced online Virtual Research Environment that addresses practice research.
