Astrid Kensinger

Specialization

Visualizing for Intangible Heritage and cultural preservation, cartographic performance, map as art.

Education

MFA with honors: Graphic Design, Rhode Island School of Design

BA: Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology, Bryn Mawr College

Biography

Prior to becoming Chair of Graphic Design at VCUarts Qatar in 2020, Astrid was at Queensland University of Technology in the Interactive and Visual Communication department and also taught Visual Communication at Nanyang Technological University’s School of Art Design & Media. She has led workshops and guest lectured at Aalborg University, London College of Communication, Central St Martins, Ravensbourne College, University of Brighton and University College for the Creative Arts at Epsom. During her time in Tokyo, she was a Typography lecturer at Tama Art University, the Media & Design Manager for ACCJ, and the Art Director for the American Club. She currently serves as Director of United Designs Alliance, a Global Design Organization for Designers and Educators in Communication Design.

Research Interests

Astrid interweaves information visualization, cartographic performance and performance art with graphic design to visually articulate site specific narratives, intangible heritage, contemporary issues and the map as art. She is the PI of the (IN)>Tangible Lab, a research cluster that strives for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage and seeks not only document and preserve ICH, but to translate and extend ICH through tangible and evocative manifestations including re-enactments, films, installations and designed artifacts.

Astrid’s recent multidisciplinary research collaborations include facilitating, through co-design, Dengue fever outbreak solutions (Skoll Foundation, Epihack Colombo, Sri Lanka) and visualizing the research methodologies of linguists mapping and preserving endangered languages of South East (DIHA: Digital Intangible Heritage of Asia).

Publications

VISUAL DESIGN FOR A MOBILE PANDEMIC MAP SYSTEM FOR PUBLIC HEALTH

18-01-2020: Journal: AI & SOCIETY; Authors: May O. Lwin, Janelle S. Ng, Karthikayen Jayasundar, Astrid Kensinger, Sheryl W. Tan:  DOI: 10.1007/s00146-020-00939-7

EXPLORING THE CROSSROADS OF LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY: LANGUAGE CONTACT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

Published on May 21, 2016: Edited by Halina Gottlieb, Astrid Kensinger, Galina Mihaleva, Marijke Van Kets and Hedren Sum:

ISBN: 978-91-85960-06-4: blogs.ntu.edu.sg/diha/language-contact-in-southeast-asia/publication

Presentations

EXTENDING INTANGIBLE HERITAGE THROUGH EMBODIED ART & DESIGN AND PHYSICAL RE-ENACTMENT: Prague – Heritages Past and Present – Built and Social: AMPS, June 2023

MAPPING MIGRATION MEMORIES: EXTENDING INTANGIBLE HERITAGE THROUGH PHYSICAL RE-ENACTMENT: VCU 2022-23 Faculty Lecture Series, Feb 7, 2023

INTRODUCING THE (IN)>TANGIBLE LAB: VCUQ Research Week: August 2022, QNL: May 2022, Research Institute: May 2022

CARTOGRAPHIC PERFORMANCE AND THE RE-ENACTMENT OF INTANGIBLE HERITAGE AS PHENOMENOLOGICAL / EMBODIED DESIGN: UDA Webinar 2022 Vol. 1 of 6. United Designs Alliance the Global Design. February 2022.

DATA HUMANISM: QUT, Australia: Interactive and Visual Communication Design. April 2020

ZAYED UNIVERSITY College of Arts and Creative enterprise: Invited presentation of design work, teaching and research. March 2020

THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN CAIRO, Department of the Arts: Invited presentation of design work, teaching & research. Feb 2020

SAIC, Department of Visual Communication Design: Invited presentation of design work, teaching & research. Feb 2020

OTIS College of Art & Design, Communication Arts & MFA Graphic Design: Invited presentation of design work, teaching & research. Jan 2020

IONION CENTER FOR THE ARTS AND CULTURE: 20X20: Kefalonia Greece. July 2013

CAN SERRAT Barcelona, Spain: July 2012. GPS, History, Walking and Visualization

UP&DOWN @ NIGHT&DAY Designer Talk, LaSalle College of Art Design Graduate Department, NTU Tier One grant, Nov 2009

KERSAN ART SPACE, CELLSFEMALE artist women from developing counties with female artists of major countries to share stories on the issues of gender equality and practice in the social environment, Aug, 2009

GADJAH MADA UNIVERSITY (UGM), ELECTRO ENGINEERING FACULTY. HONFABLAB PRESENTATION GPS Poetry and Painting the Mountain Red, Aug, 2009

YOGYAKARTA INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ART FESTIVAL 2009 CELLSBUTTON July, 2009. Press Conference

PINK COW Tokyo, japan, Graphic Design and Live Art: Communicating Through the Physical. Dec, 2008

HYBRID CREATIVE STUDIO Tokyo, japan, Performing design: the intersection of live art & visual communication, Nov-Dec 2008.

OISTAT Taiwan, guest artist presentation, August 2008

SCHOOL OF ART DESGN & MEDIA, NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY Professional Practice Series, Jan, 2008

UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII, MANOA CAMPUS Visiting Designer Presentation, March, 2007

LONDON COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION Visiting Designer Presentation, Jan, 2007

LONDON COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION Postgrad Lecture Series, March, 2006

BRIGHTON UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS Visiting Designer Presentation, Feb, 2006

CENTRAL SAINT MARTINS  MA Professional Practice Lecture Series, Jan, 2006

LONDON COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION Presentation of Work and Methodology, Nov, 2005

WORKSHOPS

Inter/AACT: TEATER NORDKRAFT IN AALBORG (DENMARK) WORKSHOP LEADER with Louis Philippe Demers Mapping and Scoring Live Performance June 2017

LONDON COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION WORKSHOP LEADER Live Art as Communication, Experience Design Workshop: design for advertising pathway. four day workshop, students responsible for concept, implementation, discussion July 2006

UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON Guest Lecturer & WORKSHOP LEADER: four day Live Art as Communication. Experimental Documentation and Experience Immersion Workshop, students responsible for documentation, representation, exhibition and critique of shared live art experience. Feb 2006

LONDON COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION WORKSHOP LEADER Live Art as Communication & Experience Design

Live Art as Communication. Experimental Documentation and Experience Immersion Workshops for third year majors and first and second year foundation students March 9, Feb.20.2006, Nov.25 & 11 2005

RAVENSBOURNE COLLEGE WORKSHOP LEADER. 11.2005: 33 hour typography workshop for second year design students to develop bilingual typeface proposals for cell phones in Japan.

RENAISSANCE ACADEMY WORKSHOP LEADER 11.2005 : one week mapping and experimental documentation workshop for visiting Japanese design students to Ravensbourne College.

RESIDENCIES

ARTE STUDIO GINESTRELLE, 3 WEEK RESIDENCY

July 2017 – GPS, history, walking and visualization specific to Assisi, Italy, visualizations specific to Thresholds

ONION CENTER FOR THE ARTS AND CULTURE/ I-NODE. ONE MONTH ARTIST RESIDENCY

Planetary Collegium, Plymouth University. Kefalonia, Greece June – July 2013 | Archaeology, walking, GPS mapping & visualization of Penelope and 20 years

CAN SERRAT, BARCELONA, 3 WEEK RESIDENCY

Spain June – July 2012 GPS, history, walking and visualization specific to Monserrat mother & child

DRAWINTERNATIONAL. ONE MONTH ARTIST RESIDENCY: CAYLUS FRANCE

June – July 2011 Research and production of video art project related to the historical layers of the Cathars and their roots in Western romance. A Somatic, walking as art research and production residency.

Exhibitions

What If? Curated by Muna Al-Bader, Art 29, W Hotel, Doha 2020

2018 KOREA BOJAGI FORUM BOJAGI AND BEYOND EXHIBITION International: Seoul, South Korea. Food Art

ART GALLERY LE LOGGE: INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION 2017  International. Assisi, Italy. UNESCO World Heritage Site, December 1-8, 2017

SOLO SHOW Till i Can´t: August, 2017  International: Singapore exhibition of endurance art, performances, tracing and collection of body generated data, and the visualizations of data in 3D form. Output from tier one grant: Tracing, Performing and Scoring Ass Three Dimensional Maps.

비폭력-_평화 _VIDAK국제포스터전 _2017 International Non_Violence_Peace International Poster Design Exhibition 2017, Korea

EXPLORING THE CROSSROADS OF LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY IN SOUTHEAST ASIA: Art Science Museum, Singapore

International: 29 May 2016, group exhibition w/ book, posters, videos and visualizations of research methodologies and practice.

KOCON 2015 SPRING INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL DESIGN INVITATION EXHIBITION,

International: with publication. Dec. 11 ~ 14, 2015, The Pacific Sutera Hotel, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

KOCON 2015 SPRING INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL DESIGN INVITATION EXHIBITION,

International. with publication May 1 ~ 4, 2015, Silla University, Korea , Poster: walking Istanbul

UNITED DESIGNS INTERNATIONAL BIANNUAL DESIGN EXHIBITION.

International. w/ publication Poster running across Spain. Third Global Visual Culture, Shanghai, 2014. Norma University, Dec 2014

BEYOND THE HORIZON, ADM FACULTY SHOW

International: Singapore. with publication. two Prints of Barcelona tracks. 2d prints of larger performance project

KOCON 2014 SPRING INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL DESIGN INVITATION EXHIBITION

International. with publication. June, 2014, Barcelona walks. ICC JEJU, JEJU ISLAND, Korea

KOCON 2013 FALL INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL DESIGN INVITATION EXHIBITION

International. with publication. Vol 9 No2. 20×20. December 2013. University of the Ryukus, Japan

SOLO SHOW INTERNATIONAL. IONION CENTER FOR THE ARTS AND CULTURE 20X20:

Kefalonia Greece 16th of July 2013

ELEVEN GALLERY: International. from Can Serrat residency: 11 artist group show : 2013 theelevengallery.blogspot.sg/

CAN SERRAT: International. Barcelona, Spain: July 2012. group show. GPS, history, walking and visualization

KOCON 2012 SPRING INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL DESIGN INVITATION EXHIBITION

International. with publication Vol. 8 No 1 | A Walk is More than This poster | May 25 ~ 28, 2012, Kangwon National University, Korea, Korea Contents Association

CONFERENCE: INFORMATION VISUALISATION

International. with publication LIRMM CNRS Univ. Montpellier II, Montpellier. July 2012 | Mapping Caylus, Visualizations of Place and Mind

SOLO SHOW > MAPPING CAYLUS, VISUALIZATIONS OF PLACE AND MIND

International: solo exhibition Alliance Française de Singapour, Feb 3—7 2012. Topographic and typographic maps of GPS walks and musings with video

KOCON 2011 FALL INTEGRATED INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL DESIGN EXHIBITION

with publication. ICCC11 Fall International Digital Design Invitation Exhibit | Month in France Poster | December, 2011, University of Philippines Los Banos

TED SINGAPORE OUR EVERYDAY SHEROES, INSIDEOUT | CURATOR KELLEY CHENG

International: InsideOut Project. Dec 2011 | celebrating 20 women creatives in Singapore, curated by Kelley Cheng,

installation @15Minutes La Salle | A Collaboration Between The Artist Jr, The Ted Prize, And You

KOREA CONTENTS ASSOCIATION

International. with publication ICCC11 Spring International Digital Design Invitation Exhibit

Bali Mountain Poster. May 2011. invited to submit original poster design : International Convention Center Jeju, Korea

UNITED DESIGNS INTERNATIONAL BIANNUAL DESIGN EXHIBITION

International. with publication Bali Mountain Poster: Cyprus | June. 2011

PORT OF CALL: 2011

International: Singapore: selected works by faculty from NTU, School of Art Design & Media (ADM)

Curated by Robert Epp, three selected works, Fear of 4, Touch Poster & Ittekimasu video

KULT ISSUE #5: FEAR: JAN 2011 .

International: Singapore Invitational publication. image created around the concept of the fear of 4.

www.kultmagazine.com.sg/magazine/kult-issue-05-fear/

KOCON KOREA CONTENTS ASSOSCIATION

International. with publication.ICCC2010 Winter International Digital Design Invitation Exhibit , Touch Poster, December 2010. invited to submit original poster design: Tezukayama University, Nara, Japan

JUMPSTART: ODC THEATER. THE CENTER FOR DANCE IN THE WEST.

International. co-curated by Theater Director Rob Bailis and leading Bay Area artists and producers. October, 2010 Invited by Ian Winters to show Ittekimasu video art piece.

OCTOBER 16 HOUSING MEMORIES: ECLIPSE OF A HAINAN TRIBE

International: Films and Photographs inspired by the relocation of the last traditional LI Village

Asian Civilizations Museum, Singapore, August 2010

THE 2010 MILKBAR INTERNATIONAL LIVE FILM FESTIVAL

International. bay area, USA, august 2010, 3 juried video shorts

RED EXHIBITION, THE CENTER FOR FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY, APRIL 2010

International. Juried by Amber Terranova, Fort Collins, CO. Straight Drop, Huashan China

SOLO SHOW > UP&DOWN @ NIGHT&DAY International: Singapore, solo show NTU Tier One grant: Nov 12-19.09

OISTAT International. South Korea, performance: MIDDLE, September 2009

PRELOAD VERSION 0.1

International: SoundnVisual Performances, collaboration with sound by Tengal Drilon, Night & Day, Singapore Sep 2009

KERSAN ART SPACE

International: Java, Indonesia Cellsbutton, video screening: Aug.05.09

MILKBAR SALON NIGHT

International. Taishan Red Videos, the MilkBar – 851 81st Ave. Studio #223 Oakland, USA, August 2009

UNITED DESIGNS INTERNATIONAL BIANNUAL DESIGN EXHIBITION

International. with publication. Mountain as Metaphor Collage Book, June 2009

KOCON KOREA CONTENTS ASSOSCIATION

International. with publication. ICCC09 Spring International Digital Design Invitation Exhibit: Climb Poster: May 2009

KOCON KOREA CONTENTS ASSOSCIATION

International. with publication ICCC08 Fall International Digital Design Invitation Exhibit: Taishan Red Poster: dec 2008

SOLO SHOW > HYBRID CREATIVE STUDIO & GALLERY

International. Tokyo, japan. Nov-dec 2008, designed experiences:

an exhibition of graphic design, books, video installations & posters including Taishan Red. www.creativehybrid.com/gallery11.html

THE 2008 MILKBAR INTERNATIONAL LIVE FILM FESTIVAL

international. Bay Area, USA, September 2008, 2 juried video shorts

ISEA International: NTU, Singapore, July 2008, GPS poetry

OISTAT international. Taiwan. performance: MIDDLE, august 2008

THE LAST SUPPER FESTIVAL

International. with publication. Brooklyn, New York, September 2007, Film.Art.Music.Food Festival, The Banquet

THE MIRROW PROJECT. ADVENTURES IN REFLECTIVE SURFACES

international. group. Jan 22, 2006

GIFT EXHIBITION

International. San Francsico, November 2006 , invitational exhibition, outdoor video screening solo show

MEMORY CLOTH FANZINE

International. with publication July 2006, Suzy Wood . Clink St studios, London

Funded Research Projects and Grants

(IN)>Tangible Lab: 2022-

The (IN)>TANGIBLE_LAB represents a movement to confront significant societal issues. As the world becomes increasingly homogenized, Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) elements are vulnerable to being lost or forgotten. According to UNESCO, the benefits of ICH include maintaining cultural diversity, supporting intercultural dialogue, encouraging mutual respect of difference, and promoting social and economic development (IN)>TANGIBLE_LAB seeks to preserve and extend Living Culture and Traditional Knowledge. Co-PI: Associate Professor Maysaa Almumin

Mapping Migration Memories: FRG-U 2022

Mapping Migration Memories is the first step in a multiyear research proposal that seeks to gather existing archived recorded memories and seek out unrecorded memories of the biannual Qatari migration from sea to desert and back. The research team of four students and one faculty. The goal to is source, collect, translate, transcribe and visualize migration memories into physical maps that can be re-enacted.

MOE AcRF Tier-1 NTU Singapore $89,565 : Co-PI

TOPONYMY AND LANGUAGE SHIFT: ASPECTS OF LANGUAGE CHANGE IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA.

Investigators: Francesco Cavallaro, Frantisek Kratochvil, Astrid Kensinger (School of Arts, Designa and Media, NTU), Guido BorghI (Università deglI StudI dI Genova) . Map art to reveal layers of language (archaeological Linguistics) for exhibition.

MOE AcRF Tier-1 NTU Singapore $70,000 : PI

TRACING, PERFORMING AND SCORING AS THREE DIMENSIONAL MAPS. nov 2013-2017

MOE AcRF Tier-2 NTU Singapore $527,455 : Co-PI

EXPLORING THE CROSSROADS OF LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY: LANGUAGE CONTACT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

Investigators: Alexander Coupe, Ng Bee Chin, Francesco Cavallaro, Frantisek Kratochvil, Astrid Kensinger (SADM), Halina Gottlieb (The Interactive Institute, Stockholm), Stephen J.Lansing (Stockholm Resilience Centre)

MOE AcRF Tier-1 NTU Singapore $29, 829.97: PI

USING GPS, VIDEO & PHOTOGRAPHY: TWO OF THE FIVE SACRED TAOIST MOUNTAINS OF CHINA.

march 2008–2010 Mapping and Performance

CENTER FOR CREATIVITY NTU Singapore  $10,000 : PI

THE MOUNTAIN AS METAPHOR: MYTH, LEGEND, LOCATION & PILGRIMAGE

jan 2008–august 2008: Start up grant from Dean Isaac Kerlow. : research & installation: Mapping and Performance