INFORMATION FOR PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS

Kai Syng Tan is a PhD Fine Art student, at the Slade School of Fine Art, on a UCL Graduate Research Scholarship and the Overseas Research Scholarship.

“My first trip out of my small island-nation was straight into the metropolis of London. It was the mid ‘90s, at the peak of the Young British Art movement, and New Labour. I was 19, suffered a culture shock that I never recovered from, and had everything that (I thought) I knew turned upside down, and questioned the meaning of (my) art (and life) at the Slade School. It was fabulous. On hindsight, the 4 year-stay was to be my most formative; Slade and London both strengthened me, and punched my artwork and personality into the (amazing, ahem) interdisciplinary artist, art educator, curator and person that I am today. Since my first London sojourn, my artwork has taken me to many cities around the world; nonetheless, London, with its charms and flaws, remains my favourite. The Slade, with its individualised programme and rigorous intellectual culture that I had benefited from during my undergraduate years, was an obvious choice. A component of my PhD research concerns urban mapping and is site-specific; London naturally sets a rich and complex stage. Called A Rough Guide To The Meaning of a Life 3.0, my research proposes a Life 3.0, which is a synthesis of Life 1.0 (life ‘as it is’, bounded by laws natural, physical, cultural, social, political) and Life 2.0 (other lives created by one’s imagination, and virtual realities). For the practical component of my work, I test out the theory of Life 3.0 as a character ‘Kaidie’ (played by myself, Kai), in the city of Nondon (played by the city of London).

I am extremely fortunate to have been awarded the Overseas Research Scholarship as well as the Graduate Research Scholarship, without which it would not have been possible for me to even think about returning to school, much less the still-expensive city of London. I am happy to report that the past 1.5 months back at the Slade, UCL and London has been intense + stressful + invigorating + overwhelming all at the same time. There had been no honeymoon – my Supervisors have been pushing me from day 1! Having been an educator myself for several years (running a Video Art degree programme at an art college back home), becoming a student once again working under tutors who are extremely supportive and spot-on, has been simply marvellous. My choice of UCL has also already been proven right several times over– it is a ‘given’ that a lecturer is a specialist in her subject; however many of the lecturers conducting the Graduate School courses have made learning so much more inspiring and entertaining with their charming personalities and captivating styles of delivery. Given the interdisciplinary nature of my research, I have also been enjoying meeting other lecturers and colleagues from the Bartlett, Anthropology and Philosophy and such. There have been yet other forms of support I have received – the librarians and staff at ISD have been extremely helpful. It is clear that everyone at UCL is professional and is proud to uphold the UCL tradition – and this very positive energy does get transpired to students as well.

When not attending talks, performances and other activities at UCL, I am at visiting galleries and museums in London. Spending hours running or walking all around the city help me to get (re-)acquainted with it – there is so much to see, smell, taste, feel. Running at Regent’s Park this morning, I felt happy even though the weather was stormy– I told myself that I wanted to come here, and I am very happy to be here indeed – in full knowledge of an arduous journey to come. But I am up for it! Conducting my research at a top art school within a world-class university with a sophisticated research environment, in a vibrant and colourful city - one can not ask for more, except that I devote myself to my work, and that my work can get as good as, or beyond, the expectations of myself, the Slade and UCL.

Wish me luck.”