Hung Lu Chan is a Taiwanese social designer who is interested in exploring our diverse imagination of the unknown, especially looking into how humans imagine and alienate the other from within. His research topic is the interdisciplinary practice between art, neuroscience, and human perceptions. He graduated with master's degree in social design from Design Academy Eindhoven, and bachelor's degree in industrial design in Taiwan. He is currently based in the Netherlands and works as artist and designer.
His creative practice is rooted at the intersection of industrial design, interaction design, and design research, excelling in using interactive experiences to contextualize alternative viewpoints and questions about the unknown world. He positions himself as an 'imagination revealer' in the design field, re-exploring the unknown to challenge established stereotypes and uncover humanity's diverse imaginations in this realm.
In his recent project, he particularly takes aliens as a metaphor for the unknown and researches their cultural interpretations and political influence on our perceptions of other cultures, entities, and worlds by looking inside ourselves with neuroscience and spirituality.
His recent work 'Close Encounters with Inner Aliens' won the 2023 Bio Art & Design Award from the Netherlands, and another project 'Martians Incubation Lab' received an honorable mention in the Art of Neuroscience Competition from the Netherlands and granted by the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts. His works were featured in international media such as Scientific American, Designboom, Daily Mail, ABC News, The Steve Harvey Show and so on.
Education
2019 - 2021 Design Academy Eindhoven, Social Design, Master, NL
2010 - 2014 Tunghai University, Industrial Design, Bachelor, TW
Exhibition
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