Hung Lu Chan is a Taiwanese artist and social designer currently based in the Netherlands. He holds a master's degree in social design from Design Academy Eindhoven and a bachelor's degree in industrial design from Taiwan. His creative practice lies at the intersection of interdisciplinary research, interactive installations and spaces, and participatory workshops. He excels in using multi-sensory experiences to contextualize alternative viewpoints and challenge our imagination and perception of the unknown world. He positions his work as an "imagination catalyst" in the design field, re-exploring the unknown to challenge established stereotypes and uncover humanity's diverse imaginations.
His research interest lies between consciousness, imagination, and perception, with a particular focus on the theme of aliens. He explores aliens in a broader sense, beyond extraterrestrials, considering any tangible or metaphysical entity that is unknown to us—the other that is related to yet different from the self. He investigates how humans imagine and alienate the "other," and how our imaginations of aliens influence socio-political perceptions of other cultures, entities, and worlds. He questions why not turn the perspective around, and for once not look at the universe searching for the unknown, but investigate our internal aliens through spirituality and neuroscience? Following this pathway, he researches aliens as an internal phenomenon and develops the idea of encountering inner aliens. He applies multi-sensory neurofeedback, cognitive neuroscience, AI neural networks, and embodied acting as methods to create unique media. These media enhance people's imaginative power, enabling them to visually engage with their inner aliens using their mind's eye, prompting audiences to introspect their cognitive biases and perceptions of the unknown, and inviting them to appreciate others' inner aliens.
His recent work, "Close Encounters with Inner Aliens," won the 2023 Bio Art & Design Award from the Netherlands. Another project, "Martians Incubation Lab," received an honorable mention in the Art of Neuroscience Competition from the Netherlands and was granted by the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts. Additionally, his works have been featured in international media such as Scientific American, Designboom, Daily Mail, ABC News, The Steve Harvey Show, and more.
Education
2019 - 2021 Design Academy Eindhoven, Social Design, Master, NL
2010 - 2014 Tunghai University, Industrial Design, Bachelor, TW
Exhibition
2024 Night of the Nerds, Close Encounters with Inner Aliens, Eindhoven, NL
2024 Night Dream Light Festival, Treasure Hill Artist, Village, A Conversation with Inner Aliens, Taipei, NL
2023 Plotting Patterns & Portals, MU Hybrid Art House, Close Encounters with Inner Aliens, Eindhoven, NL
2023 Dutch Design Week, Microlab, Absurdity in Making: Tickling Imagined Boundaries, Eindhoven, NL
2022 Museum of the Future, The Embassy of Aliens, Enschede, NL
2022 Solo Exhibition, Martians Incubation Lab, Taipei, TW
2022 WeWe Futures: 2040, The Embassy of Aliens, Taipei, TW
2022 GOGBOT Festival, The Embassy of Aliens, Enschede, NL
2022 TEC ART Festival, The Embassy of Aliens, Rotterdam, NL
2021 Dutch Design Week, Graduation Show, The Embassy of Aliens, Eindhoven, NL
2020 Eindhoven Maker Faire, Navitronic, Eindhoven, NL
2018 What is 2.5 Life?, Napkin Table, Tokyo, JP
2016 404 Festival of Art & Technology, Odorhack, Bogota, CO
2014 Meet Young Designer In Taipei, Napkin Table, Taipei, TW
2014 Young Designer Exhibition, Napkin Table, Taipei, TW
2014 A+ Creative Festival, Napkin Table, Taipei, TW
Awards/Grants
2023 Bio Art & Design Award (BAD Award), Winner, NL
Close Encounters with Inner Aliens
2023 Design Grants_Stimuleringsfonds, NL
Zero Gravity Pleasure: The Inquiry of Gender, Sexuality, and Identity in Space
2023 Cultuur Eindhoven, NL
Absurdity in Making: Tickling Imagined Boundaries
2023 Digital Culture Grants_Stimuleringsfonds, NL
Astronaut Training Program: Becoming Red Dust
2023 Art of Neuroscience_Netherlands Institute of Neuroscience, Honorable Mention, NL
Martians Incubation Lab
2023 Building Talent Grants_Stimuleringsfonds, NL
2022 Digital Technology and Visual Art Crossover Grants_National Taiwan Museum of Fine Art, TW
Martians Incubation Lab
2021 GOGBOT Youngblood Award best of Graduates 2021-2022_Nominee, NL
The Embassy of Aliens
2018 Digital Singularity Awards_Best Interactive Application_Bronze, TW
2016 Cannes Young Lion Competition Taiwan_Third Prize, TW
2014 Electrolux Design Lab_Top 100+, SE
2014 INHON Innovation Award_Second Prize, TW
2013 GIGABYTE Design Competition_Outstanding Award, TW
2013 Houseware Design_Shortlisted, TW
Lectures/Workshops/Curation
2023 WeWe Futures: Tap to your future_Taiwan Design Museum, Co-curation, TW
2023 WeWe Futures: Future Application of Speculative Design_Taiwan Design Museum, Lecture, TW
2022 Martian Imagination in Art and Science_National Taiwan Museum of Fine Art, Lecture Series, TW
2022 The Embassy of Aliens_Shih Chien University, Product Design, Lecture, TW
2022 Alien Species Evolution_Coevolution Research Assembly, Workshop, online
2021 The Embassy of Aliens_National Sun Yat-sen University, Program in Interdisciplinary Studies, Lecture, TW
2021 The Embassy of Aliens_Shih Chien University, Communication Design, Lecture, online
2017 Napkin Table DIY_New Taipei City Christmas Market, Workshop, TW
2017 Conductive Ink Lamp_Fu Jen Catholic University, Music Department, Workshop, TW
2017 Ridiculous Thinking_雜學校ZA SHARE, Workshop, TW
2017 Hacking Senses_National Chengchi University, College of Communication, Lecture, TW
2016 Hacking Senses_National Taipei University of Business, Creative Technologies and Product Design, Lecture, TW
Work Experience
2021 - now Hung Lu Chan Studio_Freelance Designer
2018 - 2019 Pegatron Corporation_Industrial Designer
2016 - 2018 Merlin's Mustache Lab_Senior Interactive Designer
2014 Probe Design Lab_Intern
2013 GIXIA Design Group_Intern
2012 Agua Design_Intern